Opinion

Phil Sparrow in photo with tattooed torso and cigarette in mouth

Phil Sparrow, Gay Pioneer in Tattooing

  Samuel M. Steward, PhD aka Phil Sparrow was a gay pioneer in the world of tattoo, sexual researcher as an associate of Dr. Alfred Kinsey, and a writer of gay erotica under the name Phil Andros. His book Bad Boys and Tough Tattoos chronicles his years as a tattooist among the derelicts and young […]

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Why I’m audaciously idealistic (I think)

We’re in the midst of unprecedented disruption, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll make it to the next century or even mid-century. Institutions are more fragile than we had hoped. The news cycle is a batshit 24-hour cycle of gaslighting by the president and far-right government. Objective facts and reality are questioned to the point of

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It’s About the Journey

Last month my husband Brian (Yes, his name is Brian also) and I celebrated our thirty-five-year anniversary. I truly can’t believe we’ve been together for thirty-five years! It seems as if it was just yesterday that we were teenagers, sitting on a rock by the river, getting to know one another. It was the end

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Social Media

Social media. There are many forms of it such as Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and many more, but they all have something in common and that is that they’re being frequently used by people of all ages in this day and age. Although this may sound normal, it’s actually very dangerous. Yes, there are many

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Defend Modesto?

Content Warning: Talking About the Inherent Violence of White Supremacy and supporting them through the politics of politeness. A good friend of mine posted the image below. It is a flyer for the counter protest of the White Supremacist- er, I mean “Straight Pride” event that occured this last Saturday in Modesto. Featured on it

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It’s Not Just About a Parade

Happy Pride month! What’s not to like about a parade and festival? It is so fabulous watching the long procession of near naked men dancing on colorful decorated floats; seeing those that serve in public office, the military, and in law enforcement, marching side by side as one of us! Pride celebrations are festivals of

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Drag Show Etiquette: Celebrating Pride With Drag Entertainers

With pride here and in full force, there are several different celebrations going on everywhere for everyone of all age groups. Visalia Pride kicked it off this year, and Fresno Pride follows next. There are many other local events and functions to attend, places to explore and things to learn about like the 50th anniversary

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So…..What EXACTLY IS Truth…No….Seriously…?

It would seem these days, children, that some have forgotten what that particular five letter word means. I know, you’re saying to yourself, “I think we know what that word means, Jim.” But the scary thing is, most people I talk to, have no idea about truth, much less facts. I know that we live

Is It Something I said?

Let me start by saying that this should be fun, but informative.  My idea is to get our community united, in one mind set, and that mindset is to UTILIZE that grey matter that we all are notorious for NOT using.  Relying instead on the easy, social media related BS to cloud our own thoughts. 

book cover mar 19

Do We Judge a Book By its Cover?

We have all heard the expression, “never judge a book by its cover”. As human’s, once upon a time, long ago, it was likely a survival mechanism to quickly assess ‘friend’ or ‘foe’. Get it wrong, or being too slow at it, there was a real possibility it would cost you your life. I don’t