This week Instagram announced plans to implement a new auto-blurring feature to prevent sensitive users from encountering “bad surprises” while scrolling down their feed. This means that you’re sexy selfies, could soon be even less explicit than emojis, how… considerate. But moreover, Kylie Jenner and elder sister Kim Kardashian are said to be distraught at the thought that they could now go broke. And they’re not the only ones pissed off by the news. At the Instagram headquarters, in California, a school of gays with low self-esteem patrolled the grounds with their shirts off, waving placards that read “FREE THE FLOOZY!”

On top of that, schools across America are in a state of chaos as hundreds of aspiring Insta-sluts are now panicking that they’ll actually have to sit their SATs. And so, further bad news for Lindsay Lohan, the price of Adderal is set to surge worse than Uber in a snowstorm. Country singer Steve Grand has had to shell out a huge portion of his finances on a new wardrobe that consists of more than just budgie smugglers. Reality star Austin Armacost’s account will look like you’re viewing it through your granny’s glasses. We’ve just cancelled our holidays to Madrid World Pride and Barcelona Circuit, ’cause what’s the point of going on a trashy holiday if we can’t post the near-naked snaps on social media; whoring yourself is only fun when it’s rewarded by the thumbs of strangers, after all.

And we all know that validation is way more important than the tender eyes of prudish prats. Can’t wait for the day when we’re all fully sexually repressed because the big corporations want to please a generation that are way too young to be using smart phones. Next thing you know, our knickers will come with a padlock on them.

Instagram then confirmed that, it will only censor the images with a sensitivity warning, (after being reported, and confirmed by IG that the material was “offensive or disturbing”), but can then be viewed in full once clicked:

People that report nudity to Instagram police – now there’s people you want at your house party.

The post NEWS: Sluts are in Meltdown as Instagram set to Blur Sexy Selfies appeared first on Cocktails & Cocktalk.

Jaimie Wilson – a trans musician – is sharing photos of his transition online in a bid to break down stereotypes that the trans community face on a daily basis. Wilson makes a powerful statement about believing what people say, and that if somebody has the guts to tell you who they really are, you shouldn’t doubt that because of how they look. Although clearly Jaimie was beautiful both before and after his transition.

DONT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. I am posting this picture to show that not everyone has to show "signs" to be transgender. You don't have to pass a test to prove you're trans…and you sure as hell don't need ANYONES approval but your own. This life is about finding yourself and becoming YOU. No one's journey is the same…so stop comparing yourself to others. When I came out people refused to believe I was a man because of how "Feminine" I presented for 18 years. So why am I posting this comparison? Because I want people to see it doesn't matter what some LOOKS like…if someone has the guts to tell you "I'm transgender" "I'm gay" "I'm bisexual" anything like that PLEASE BELIEVE them and be there for them because stereotypes need to be broken. #ftm #transman #transgender #transguy #transisbeautiful #trans #femaletomale #lgbtpride #polysexual #saga #genderfluid #queer #bisexual #noh8 #lgbt #gay #lesbian #loveislove #transformation #pride #blueeyes #beforeandafter #transpride #selflove #bodypositivity #loveyourself #vitamint #progress

A post shared by Jaimie Wilson (@tboy61915) on Mar 10, 2017 at 5:13pm PST

In honor of National Coming Out Day I thought I would share this #transformationtuesday photo. Left is Pre-transition and the right is 1 year & 3 months on testosterone. #ftm #transman #transgender #transguy #transisbeautiful #trans #femaletomale #lgbtpride #polysexual #saga #genderfluid #queer #bisexual #noh8 #lgbt #gay #lesbian #loveislove #transformation #pride #blueeyes #beforeandafter #transpride #selflove #bodypositivity #loveyourself #vitamint #progress

A post shared by Jaimie Wilson (@tboy61915) on Oct 11, 2016 at 7:29pm PDT

In the pic, Jaimie shows why people were shocked to hear about his transition – because he always presented himself so effeminately before. Since starting his account, he’s amassed over 100,000 supportive followers in less than just two years, and expresses his happiness and gratitude in the post below.

•••100K••• I cannot believe I reached 100,000 supporters. I started this account June 12th 2015 for personal use to document my transition and track my progress, I had no idea others would join me on this lifelong journey. I lost my family…I thought I had no support…but I was wrong…thank you for being my encouragement when I thought I had none. I am beyond thankful for all the love you have shown and continue to show. People always say "the world is full of terrible people" but I think the opposite! The support and acceptance you all show me makes me believe the world is full of awesome people like yourselves I don't know what I did to deserve you all I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL #trans #transmen #transman #transgender #transisbeautiful #blueeyes #headshot #ftm #femaletomale #malemodel #lgbt #lovewins #loveislove #nohate #dream #instadaily #progress #lgbtq #queer #instagood #bodypositive #gay #selfmademan #instaselfie #instahub #instagay #selflove #goals #loveyourself #pride

A post shared by Jaimie Wilson (@tboy61915) on Mar 25, 2017 at 4:36pm PDT

And you only have to read the comments to see how he’s makes his audience fanny flutter as well as their hearts.

I can't believe it's been 2 years since I came out as Trans. YES, I was born in a female body and NO I'm not ashamed of it. ( and no this is not my house haha ) #calvinklein #timberland #hollister #model #malemodel #style #fashion #outfitoftheday #photooftheday #ftm #transgender #transisbeautiful #lgbtpride #fitness #health #trans #gym #healthyeating #countryboy #lgbt #gay #bodytransformation #fitfam #pride #selfie #selflove #progress #loveyourself #motivation

A post shared by Jaimie Wilson (@tboy61915) on Feb 12, 2017 at 4:25pm PST

We think it’s great that Jaimie is inspiring people to be their true selves, proving that trans people are beautiful and hopefully opening the minds to those less educated.

The post VIRAL: This Beautiful Girl Transitioned into a Stunning Guy & now Wants to Smash Stereotypes appeared first on Cocktails & Cocktalk.

It’s easy to see why FTAPE.com selected irresistible Italian Andrea Denver as their next model to have an ‘Obsession’ over; he’s got the face, the body and the right equipment to fill out a pair of speedos, and that’s what they’re selling after all (the bulge, as well as the trunks; they’re by Charlie and D.Hedral). The 26 year-old was the 20th edition in the series, and we’re fully supportive of that decision. You may also recognise Denver from J.LO’s video – and you know these pics got us Luvin’ Yuh Papi.

[H/t: Homorazzi]

The post MAN CANDY: Italian Model Andrea Denver Squeezes Bulge into Skimpy Speedos appeared first on Cocktails & Cocktalk.

Our nostalg-o-meter shot through the roof today when we saw the ENTIRE cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunite for the shows 20th anniversary, featured in Entertainment Weekly. It’s the first time they’ve all been together since you used to fly around your living room with a HB pencil in-hand, dusting imaginary vamps. It seems the only notable name that wasn’t in attendance was Nicholas Brendon, who was probably at anger management; even Joyce was salontro’ing against a gravestone.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz posed sultry for the cover – oooh chile, I’da been having my hand down his pants like, ‘is that a stake, or are you just happy to see me?’

Check out more of the gag-inducing snaps below. Nah fam… The way that Cordy just slutted herself onto the desk and stole the show – you know Sarah is seething. See the FULL shoot at EW.

SMG says: “I’m so incredibly proud of what we all created. Sometimes you need distance to really understand the gravitas of that. I appreciate everything about that job.” And so you should girl, that TV show put you on the MAP! Listen to her and other stars sound off below:

It’s kind of a shame they ended things the way they did – as we’re certain they’ve got enough to jump on the ‘reboot’ bandwagon! The issue is out now…

[H/t: Attitude]

As if New York City wasn’t fast-paced enough, I’d decided to add even more haste to my love life by signing up for speed dating. I know, I’m fully aware that the chance of this being the biggest shit show since Amanda Bynes, was relatively high. But – despite the beliefs about Paris and Venice – I truly believed that this was the city of love – and if I was gonna date a string of losers somewhere, it was not gonna be on home soil.

The pitch of the event was ‘Millionaire Matchmaker’ – so you can understand why in my head I was already pouring champagne on my tits and making it rain on a yacht in St. Barthes. Not that I needed a Sugar Daddy in any sense, but I have heard that it’s pricey to get a place on Fire Island. That aside, it would’ve been nice to meet a man that was more on my level, albeit ridiculously wealthier.

The men are split into two groups; 36 and over, successful bachelors, and 35 and under men looking to meet 36 and older, successful bachelors; then you partake in nine 5-minute dates. Clearly, this could go one of two ways.

Walking into Planet Hollywood, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t stop laughing. It might’ve been the four screwdrivers I had beforehand, or the fact there was a family sitting at the bar, totally oblivious to the surrounding patrol of queens clucking for companionship. As part of the younger group, which was compiled of a few dashing kids, and a few daddy issues who’d listened to one too many Lana Del Rey tracks, I felt like a slab of meat that had been thrown in the lions den. Half-amazing, half-a little rapey.

Once in the room, they preached a couple lines from a self-help book about being worthy of love (wait, people here for love? I thought this shit was about cash money). Then the elder guys took their seats, while the younger ones sat opposite and moved to the right every time the bell rang. You’d have thought they’d get the older guys shuffling but obviously – arthritis.

We were given sheets to score our counterparts on how we’d like to see them again: 2nd date, friendship, or business (or leave completely blank for those nardy-ass crows y’all never wanna see again).

By the third ‘date’, (and whatever number drink), it all started to blur into one. The bell seemed to ring so quickly that you couldn’t remember who was before two seconds later. One guy, who looked like your stereotypical closeted American high school teacher mentioned something about “making ends meet”, and I was onto that next seat so damn quick I was sitting on the twink before me’s lap. I almost stood up, and waved a finger in his face: “This is Ru Paul’s All Stars Millionaire Matchmaker, you better bring it!”

By the end of the night, I’d met one guy that I’d see again, another I’d meet up with after I’d done a few dozen shots of tequila, and seven reasons not to go speed dating again.

Sitting at the restaurant bar, another guy approached me; with a thick Italian/American accent he sounded like Al Pacino’s loan shark. Finally, a man that can get some decent blow. J/k.  He kept making jokes about “if he told me, he’d have to kill me”, which kinda turned me on. ‘Cause when you’ve dated all the pussies of the London scene, it’s a pleasant change of pace to meet someone with a backbone. And potentially a criminal record.

Anyway, the alcohol is telling me he looked like Ray Liota, but I have no idea. So he asks me if I’m hungry, I told him I was, and when he asked “what for?”, girl, I kid you not, I leant over, looked him up and down, licked my lips, and said “Italian”. DEAD. I’m such a shameless hussy after a drink.

So he takes me to this plush Italian restaurant, where we ate veal. Obviously he took care of the bill, and then as we leave, he hails a taxi and the first one that drives by, stops for him – it was such a Carrie/Big moment. Then after a couple drinks in this dive bar in the East Village, he tells me “come home with me.” Understand that there was no question, this was a statement from a man that knew what he wanted.

On normal circumstances, I’d probably have declined, but my mattress still hadn’t been delivered and was already dreading another night of sleeping on a pile of my own clothes on the floor, so I gave him the “we’re not gonna bang” spiel – only this time I meant it. I’d slept a total of five hours in past two nights, and there was no price you can put on a decent kip.

So I stumbled into his gorgeous 2-bed apartment, salontro’d straight onto the bed and passed out fully-clothed within seconds. I’m fairly certain that he doesn’t wanna see me again because I was such a hot mess that didn’t even suck his dick – but hey, mans got a bed for the night, so there you have it – speed dating is certainly useful, it just depends if you wanna sleep with them… or sleep, period.

By Anthony Gilét

CONFESSION: We have never skied. Don’t get us wrong, it’s totes on our bucket list – but for now we’re content just checking out those slopes on model/photographer Alfred Liebl. Shot for Adon Magazine, it states that he’s both the model and photographer (unless, they both had the same unique name – which… doubted). How do y’all feel ’bout your selfies now?

It may be snowing wherever his is, but we’re feeling extremely hot, right ’bout now. Infact, our desire to take a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Alps and have a torrid Whiskey-infused affair by a wood-log fire in a cozy cabin has never been so peak. Sexy shots… Now show us your snow balls *snigger*.

It’s been a while since you’ve heard of S Club 7, right? Well it seems singer Jon Lee is bringing it all back. Well, he’s backing up, at least. And it looks ‘all so natural’ to him. The former-squeaky-clean pop star had his snaps do the rounds online, and that looks like an S Club Party, if y’all ask us.

Lee recently made headlines for his transformation from boy-next-door, to boy you wanna bang from the gym – and hasn’t been shy about flaunting his ass-ets. Though this most explicit snap looks more suited for Grindr than Insta.

It’s no secret that we’re fans of men in lycra, rubbing against each other and pinning one another to the floor. I mean, how could you not be? Wrestling is such a beautiful sport, giving those in the closet a safe place to get to 2nd base with other guys and not be judged for it. We’re supportive! Granted, it’s perhaps not as homoerotic as Turkish mud wrestling – but we’re not complaining.

And if you missed that video of two guys wrestling naked for HIV awareness – you can check it out here.

A gay porn star has announced that he’ll be donating $150 from every scene he films to gay-straight allies charities across America. And we thought Thom Evans getting naked for Terrance Higgins Trust was an honourable thing… Markie More is going balls-deep. N’aww, ain’t it just sweet the lengths people will go to for a good cause. We won the Sponsored Bounce (most jumps in one minute on a bouncy castle) is little school, but this is a different kind of bouncing altogether!

The Gay Straight Alliance Network is made up of student-run clubs that bring together LGBT and straight students to support each other. That’s real sweet! We don’t have that in England, it’s usually just a group of girls that adopt him and stick up for him.

More said, “I’ve always felt a calling to help people”, (and not just by giving them a good sticking), “especially those who can’t necessarily help themselves. As the years have gone by this feeling within me has become increasingly stronger.” See! Porn stars have feelings too!

After retiring from porn to do more to help to LGBT community, More then decided that he wasn’t ready to give up the D just yet, and has decided to help those in need VIA porn. Listen, charity is charity, who cares how you do it. Whether your keeping your mouth shut for a sponsored silence, or opening-wide on the set of your next Boys Next Door shoot – WGAF if you’re helping out.

And with all of this extra promo, the gay straight allies should get a decent bank-boost! We hope you’ve got the lube at the ready Markie! Naturally, we’ve included some his work for your perusal…

Geordie Shore’s Gaz Beadle has never been one shy to get his ‘parsnip’ out, as it’s grossly been nicknamed, (like, if you’re gonna name your dong after something, it should at least be appetizing – ladies, am I right?!). And now a private dance he did for then-beau Charlotte Crosby is doing the rounds again online. We only came across the footage a few months ago, but it’s actually a couple years old. She found it hilarious, but was the Parsnip the reason she now pisses the bed? J/k.

Scream Queens star Lucien Laviscount has got fans fawning over him again, this time when he stripped off for his latest role in 2017 flop Bye Bye Clothes Man. But while the film itself may have hit a bum-note, we can’t knock that junk in the trunk. If we were the killer in this flick, we’d definitely be penetrating him first. Just not with a knife.

Lol. I’m already laughing and I’ve barely even started typing yet. Will Corea – who’s Bryan Hawn‘s lesser known, but marginally more talented (hey, at least he can twerk) sister has come under fire for charging viewers $70 to watch his 4-minute naked twerk-out. I mean… Why not? It’s not like we’ve got an unlimited database of free porn at our fingertips. Oh, wait… But it’s not like we can just walk into a bar in West Hollywood and watch a guy twerk for free, or even a couple dollars. Oh wait… Or that we have male strip shows that sells tickets for half the price, and they show twice as much. Oh, wait… 

Yes, sorry – not sorry – but if you pay $70 to watch a 4-minute PG video of a go-go dancer, you’re 2 brain cells short of a vegetable.

Bryan Hawn, known for his amazing lip-synching (lol), also charges up to $100 for sophisticated shit like “How to take your pants off and still be sexy”, but wouldn’t it be helpful if the person teaching you, actually knew? Let’s be clear, when you buy these videos, all you see is ass. You’re paying $100 to see someone’s butt. That’s some expensive basic prostitution. Especially when it’s also available on his other videos for free.

It was shameless before, but this is next level. Could you imagine Kim Kardashian charging $70 to see her ass? It’s like nana always used to say, ‘it’s better to be a slut, than a whore’. Don’t get me wrong, Bryan Hawn has a great butt, and I’m sure Will Corea does too, but if I’m paying $70 upwards, that ass better be cased in gold and delivered to my yard.

But hey, each to their own, and if these boys can make $100 from flashing their butts to dumb-as-shit Americans – well, then that just proves why Trump is sitting in the Whitehouse.

[H/t: Gay Pop Buzz]

Joe Dombrowski, (Joey Dees on social media) an openly gay teacher in Royal Oak, Michigan, laid down an impromptu spelling quiz for his class. Although this wasn’t any ordinary spelling quiz, this was an early April Fool’s spelling quiz, where his children were asked to spell made-up words like ‘shabolaskp’, which featured three silent letter on the end, and ‘Ro-laska-tox’ which Ru Paul fans will recognise as the trio that formed during Season 5.

When using it in a sentence, Joey stated: “Ro-laska-tox were surprised when Jinkx took the crown. If you didn’t get the hypens, I’m sorry — you did not get the word.” HARSH. But still funny. This is the kind of thing I’d do with my nieces.

As if being a veteran of World War II wasn’t quite eventful enough, Patricia Davies is now in the midst of another life-changing event; living as her true self, a woman. Patricia – who was originally born, Peter – claims she knew she was female from the very early stages of her life.

“I’ve known I was transgender since I was 3 years old. I knew a girl called Patricia, and I decided I wanted to be known by that name, but it didn’t stick,” she told Cater News Agency. Growing up in a day-and-age where trans people were subjected to shock/conversion therapy, not to mentioned shunned by the society that surrounded them, it was no surprise that Patricia kept her secret for so long.

[REALTED: Former FOX News Anchor is now a Gay Daddy Porn Star]

“The atmosphere [around being transgender] was not safe. People did not understand what transgender was,” and as we can see from the much-debated toilet bill and horrific attacks occurring in Brazil, this is still case in many parts of the world. Not to mention that gay or trans people were certainly not allowed to fight for their country, which Davies did between 1945 – ’48. Davies says she’s “proud” to have done military service and served, especially during Palestinian troubles.

Married at 21, Davies came out to her wife in 1987, and though this could have easily been a recipe for disaster, her wife was supportive and even brought home dresses for her to dry on in secret. Now, if that ain’t some kinda love! In fact, they remained married for 67 years, until Davies wife passed away.

When Davies first turned that sidewalk into a runway, and daringly wore her heels outside of the bedroom, teenagers threw eggs at her house and hurled abuse at her. But that hasn’t prevented Patricia from living her life proudly as a trans woman, and taking hormones to speed up her transition.

[RELATED: The Beautiful Girl Transitioned into a Stunning Guy and now wants to Smash Stereotypes]

Patricia goes on, “It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I was living a lie. I have been keeping quiet. I have slowly started to tell some of my neighbors. Everybody said, ‘Don’t worry, as long as you’re happy.’”

“It’s not 100 percent safe now but it’s much better than it was. People that I have told seem to be very accommodating and haven’t thrown abuse at me,” she says. “I have a new lease of life”. Listen sweetie, age ain’t nothing but a number, and as long as you’re happy, it’s better done than never!

[H/t: Instinct]

It’s a moment that the internet have long-awaited, as we all know that glimpse of the goods he gave last year, was not even nearly enough to quench our Efron-shaped thirst. Now, a new set of images are doing the rounds on the DL, claiming to be Zac. And while we’re obviously skeptical, even Queen of Gossip Perez Hilton was getting in on the discussion.

The images appear to show Zac getting jiggy with some chick that was smart enough to cover her face with a phone, but also smart enough to memento the occasion of being doggied by Zac. Personally, we think it could be a look-a-like, but if Perez is buying, what you saying?! Sound off in the comments!

Unfortunately, there’s only one NSFW pic, and no video as of yet.

Oh wait, you came here for DICK?! Click this NSFW link for the X-rated snap!

OOOHH! Shakira, girl – yo’ hips may not lie, but neither doth the bulge. A fun-on-the-field fact that her handsome hubby seems to be fully aware of. Gerard Piqué, a buff footie player for Barcelona couldn’t avert his gaze when one of his opponents hiked up his shorts, leaving his goal post wide open. Check out the video below, now that’s one way to keep your competition distracted…

Remember watching those scenes of Ryan Philippe in Cruel Intentions and wanting to be Sarah Michelle Gellar ever more than you already did?! Errr, yah! Like it was yesterday, fam. And it seems the hunk is only getting better with age. At 42, Philippe is giving actors half his age a run for their money – in the physique department at least. Recent snaps on his Instagram from a ocean-side photoshoot got us more than wet…

despite my resting bitch face, i had fun working w @rikerbrothers today. they are awesome. and virgos too, so +! you guys better buy @mensfitnessmag this june gonna be a good summer.

A post shared by @ryanphillippe on Mar 29, 2017 at 5:28pm PDT

hold up

A post shared by @ryanphillippe on Mar 29, 2017 at 5:22pm PDT

shooting w the great @rikerbrothers today for @mensfitnessmag cover (wet white jeans get cold)

A post shared by @ryanphillippe on Mar 29, 2017 at 1:08pm PDT

i didnt even have to use my AK

A post shared by @ryanphillippe on Mar 29, 2017 at 5:46pm PDT

we're just friends (@dean_dean_dean)

A post shared by @ryanphillippe on Mar 19, 2017 at 1:32pm PDT

[H/t: Instinct]

It’s been a while since you’ve heard of S Club 7, right? Well it seems singer Jon Lee is bringing it all back. Well, he’s backing up, at least. And it looks ‘all so natural’ to him. The former-squeaky-clean pop star had his snaps do the rounds online, and that looks like an S Club Party, if y’all ask us.

Lee recently made headlines for his transformation from boy-next-door, to boy you wanna bang from the gym – and hasn’t been shy about flaunting his ass-ets. Though this most explicit snap looks more suited for Grindr than Insta.

OK, can we talk? As funny as it is to joke about the ‘masc 4 masc’ culture, it seems that some gay men have a real issue with other gay men that exude effeminate traits. This week, we shared a video of the Sinon Loresca, the muscle queen that sashays around whatever environment he’s in (shopping malls, streets, gyms) in a pair of stilettos, giving Miss Universe-style waves.

For the most part, people are supportive and in fact encourage his bold Miss Congeniality videos, but the comments are also filled with hate from other fellow gay men. One commenter writes, “A man putting on women’s clothes and prancing down is not what gay is about”, while another closed-minded fucktard puts, “Just awful. This gives us gays such a bad experience. This is why we still get attacked.”

No, bitch. The reason we still get attacked is because people like you are unaccepting of those who are different. What, you think a homophobe wouldn’t attack you because you were dressed like a man? Girl, you still like dick like the rest of us, they gonna box no matter what.

While another felt the need to inform people that we’re all different: “just to let everyone know, …not all gay men act this way!!!!” No shit, bitch. That’s the beauty of having a colourful community.

What I struggle to understand is why people are so offended by him? He hasn’t done anything wrong, and he isn’t hurting anybody, so why y’all bringing somebody down when it affects your life in zero respect? He’s not going to be to everyone’s tastes or likings, but he’s living. LET THE MAN, LIVE! It just proves that homophobia is still rife, even amongst our ‘own’, although I who I’d rather have as part of our community. If you have a problem watching a man dress like this and be camp, then it’s you with the issue, not him.

Sure, we’re not all as effeminate as him – but if you’re worried that people are gonna tarnish all gays with the same brush, then you need a new circle. Other comments included, “disgusting” and “I hate this guy”. Well, you know what, bitch, you’re illiterate, got 225 friends, and you’re from Texas, so we know why. The only people around here giving gays a bad name, are you. You’d think that being part of the minority they would learn to accept all colours of the rainbow that we’re part of.

They’re the same type of people that have an issue with the Clapham Tranny. Too many people trying to peddle out dress codes for things that make them uncomfortable. We personally love the videos – even if they are a little repetitive – gwan catch your life Sinon!

As gay men, there’s a number of issues that we’re more susceptible to that our heterosexual counterparts. Being a perceptive person you begin to notice behavioural patterns, in this article we look at some syndromes that are more common and widely recognised in the medical sense, along with a couple which we’ve coined.

Body Dysmorphia 

Body Dysmorphia occurs when a person believes themselves to be thinner or fatter than they actually are, often leading them to take severe actions (extreme dieting, excessive exercise, steroids) to obtain the body they desire. It’s not uncommon for sufferers to have no idea what they look like from an outsiders perspective – until they see a photo or image of themselves – but even then they often can’t see the reality. Gay men are more likely to fall into this negative cycle because we live in an image-conscious society, and plenty of men feel the pressure to fit in (losing weight, bulk up). People that suffer with body dysmorphia tend to compare themselves to other people, be perfectionists and have low self-esteem.

Peter Pan Syndrome

Peter Pan Syndrome is when a grown adult presents emotionally immature attributes, for a lack of wanting or inability to grow up. The term is thrown around a lot in our culture to refer to older gay men that still enjoy Circuit parties. As we all come out of the closet at different points in our lives, coming out later in life can be one of the reasons why; making up for lost time. Another potential cause is that growing up against the social norm can lead many gay men to subconsciously feel as though they’ve missed out on childhood. Sufferers tend to have difficulties building lasting, genuine and strong relationships, leading to loneliness – which then prohibits drug and alcohol abuse.

The Shiny Penny Syndrome

Shiny Penny syndrome occurs when a guy cannot commit to you because he’s distracted by all the other attractive men out there. His affections towards you can become lackluster because he feels he can do better, or simply that he isn’t done sampling the ‘shiny’ pennies of the scene. Their materialistic nature always has them looking out for the prettiest prize, but this leads him into in-genuine relationships. The developments in the instantaneous gay dating scene have only encouraged people to quickly replace their gemstones with more common pebbles, and not even realise. Shiny Penny Syndrome also exposes fear of commitment, desire to get more for less (taking shortcuts), and of course, that validation so many of us require.

Irresponsible Beauty Syndrome

Many of our reader’s found the concept of Irresponsible Beauty Syndrome offensive;, where the sufferer is widely-considered attractive and struggles to handle the responsibility that comes with their beauty; predominantly, promiscuity, an investment in shallow pursuits, lack of personality development (stemming from the amount of attention they get regardless), and an inflated ego. Irresponsible Beauty Syndrome isn’t about slut-shaming, nor is it about jealously (trust me girl, if I was as pretty as some of these bitches I wouldn’t be able to keep my knickers on either) – but rather, what it highlights is that our culture places so much emphasis on beauty that in-turn those with outstanding outer beauty are unable to develop and sustain deeper connections. It’d totally be sad if they didn’t fancy themselves so much as well.

Bridesmaid Syndrome

The name Bridesmaid Syndrome stems from the old saying “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” and ties in with the constant feeling of always feeling second best. In-turn, sufferers strive to be perfect at everything and overwork themselves just to be valued by the outside world. As with most of these, the roots are different for everybody, but growing up in a heterosexual world where gay people are often made to feel inferior to straight people is certainly a contributor. Sufferers frequently compare themselves to other people, are their own harshest critic and set themselves unobtainable goals, and in-turn, up for failure. Building self-esteem to the point where you love yourself enough not to take rejection so personally, is a big factor in aiding recovery.