Posted by Adam on Friday, July 3, 2009 | 1 Comment » | Email a Friend

Though in India it’s quite common to see straight male friends walking around holding hands, up until today gay men couldn’t do so without fear of prosecution. Today the New Delhi High Court in India decriminalized gay sex between consenting adults, a major decision for a country that’s actively prosecuted gay people since 1860, when the criminalization law was first put into effect. The offense carried a punishment of up to 10 years in prison, was often used to blackmail gay men and women, and kept many HIV-positive gay people from seeking treatment for fear of prosecution. The decision is being described by gay rights supporters as “India’s Stonewall,” though it’s opponents have promised to fight it in the Supreme Court. It’s also important to note that the decision only affects New Delhi and not all of India. We offer our congratulations just the same. Does anyone know any art-book stores in New Delhi that might want to carry BUTT? Or anyone from New Delhi who’d like to be interviewed for the BUTT Blog?

Posted by Adam on Thursday, July 2, 2009 | 1 Comment » | Email a Friend

After listening to it three times a day for the past week and a half since I bought it, I’m now thoroughly convinced that we probably won’t see a better record this year than the seven track album ‘II’ from Johnny Jewell’s new band Desire. Jewell is one half of Glass Candy and the Chromatics, both excellent groups in their own right. Desire seems to surpass them though, most likely due to the addition of Jewell’s newest discovery: singer Megan Louise from Montreal, a far softer singer than Glass Candy’s Ida No. Jewell has said of Louise, ‘She was the voice I was looking for,’ which is exactly what Phil Spector said when he first heard Veronica Bennett sing with her sisters. He then turned them into the Ronettes.  

(more…)

Posted by Adam on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 | 3 Comments » | Email a Friend

Every Sunday in Washington, D.C., a group of gay men in their thirties meet to play the wildly popular fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. They refer to themselves jokingly as “the hottest gay gamers in Washington, D.C.” In the game, invented in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson (who died in April) players assume character identities and interact with each other, discussing their actions and interactions with other characters. The players create a story, and achieve experience points which make them more powerful. D&D (as it’s popularly abbreviated) and the people who play it are routinely made the butt of jokes in high school and popular media. I talked with the group during one of their weekly sessions.

BUTT: Can you tell me how and when the group began?
Jim: This group began when I moved to D.C. back in 1997, and I met Brian through AOL chat rooms. I don’t know how the subject came up, I think it was just in his profile on AOL. And then Jon, how did you learn about this group?
Jon: You put an ad in the sci-fi club and Gary and I responded.

So you guys were all into D&D as kids?
Jim: Yeah, I think so.
Brian: Yes, I met my first boyfriend in high school through D&D. (more…)

Posted by Adam on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | 19 Comments » | Email a Friend

Christmas Eve 3:30PM. I’ve just landed in Toronto. I’m amazed that my flight was able to land at all. The snow on the streets of Toronto is waist deep and still piling up and I haven’t found my outfit yet for the Hotnuts Christmas party at the Beaver Cafe. Hotnuts is one of the most ridiculously fun monthly parties I have ever been to. I have ½ an hour to rush over to Yonge St. before meeting my brother to drive North to my Dads for Christmas. I have to get to Yonge Street fast; my destination “That’s Badd” Fashion Boutique. After trying on a number of outfits I settle on a fantastic red woven polyester one-piece jump suit with a white faux fur cape and a pair of baby blue leg warmers. After making a call to Margot Keith to confirm our make up date I’m ready to head off to see the family. (more…)

Posted by Adam on Monday, June 29, 2009 | 3 Comments » | Email a Friend

40 years ago today, a group of gay men and drag queens at the Stonewall bar stood up against police raids and discrimination and fought back for their rights, and thus begat the gay rights movement that spread throughout the world and continues today. This scene is fittingly commemorated in a window display at Bloomingdale’s downtown branch in New York, seen above. The window dressers have taken some liberties with the event, though. Due to space limitations, the scores of men who protested that fateful evening have been condensed into one solitary gay mannequin (and lesbian, not pictured) wearing a Madonna T-shirt and cut-off shorts, holding a sign that says “Gay Liberation Now!” Touching, no?

Photo by Joshua Thorson.

Posted by Adam on Sunday, June 28, 2009 | 3 Comments » | Email a Friend

The Pet Shop Bears and BUTT magazine are teaming up for another awesome bust-busting kind of party – BEER-B-Q—a night of bingeing, broiling and booty-shaking!

This time expect a special live PA from Erobique and his super-special guest, plus London’s own Disco Bloodbath party crasher Dan Beaumont as well as your hosts, Justin Case and Open Mike. Out in the Biergarten, Rummelsnuff and Bernd Butz perform a extra-special Knopfaccordion set.

Friday 24 July 2009 from 9 PM until late at the Berghain Cuntine and Biergarten in Berlin.

Posted by Office on Friday, June 26, 2009 | 1 Comment » | Email a Friend