José Soplanucas

I agree with your first statement. About the second one, I think some have moved over there because we can discuss politics, others because of beefs with current and/or extinct moderators, but I do not know of anyone who moved over there because of political or points of views disagreement. I do not even think it is @unicorn's case. If he was looking for an echo chamber, he did not find one over there.

I am extremely glad to report that @Lookinis well enough to post in Gayguides.

THANK YOU for that! Some of the posters with plenty of time should recompile an anthology of his posts. So many were borderline with geniality! As a side note, now I am also missing Adam Smith, but I do know he passed during the pandemic. 🥲

Now I am also concerned about another of my favorite forum members: @Lookin His last login was on September 13th. I hope you are well! I miss your wisdom!

In general, I agree. However, when we make these arguments, we often misunderstand the meaning of hypocrisy. One thing is an imperfect human being that more or less often fails to live up to their own moral standards; and another thing is to live a life of double standards. Of course, my personal experience is only anecdotal information, but the many Catholic priests that I met and were having sex were all hypocrites on that matter. But someone who "occasionally" does things in secret that they wouldn't condone in public is not necessarily an hypocrite.

I do not think it is appropriate to discuss publicly anyone's HIV status.

Not only did he possess a remarkable memory, but he also exuded unwavering positivity and provided support to everyone he encountered. It's a rarity to find forum members who rise above cliques and political divisions as effortlessly as he did. While his public contributions may not have been groundbreaking, as you've mentioned, he had a knack for dropping concise yet valuable insights into discussions, often steering them in productive directions. However, his more extensive and generous communications typically unfolded in private messages. During my early days as a forum member and later as a blogger, he stood out as one of my most ardent supporters. I deeply regret not having had the opportunity to meet him and nurture a more profound friendship.

At this point I am assuming the worst. I am sad and will miss @BabyBoomer very, very much.

Indeed. However, those terms are not equivalent and do represent different understandings. I think discussing them is also discussing how we think about human sexuality.

And yet, my point stands.

Oh. So... because these "slurs" hurt you, you think they are hurtful to everyone else. I wonder what the thousands of academics working in Queer Studies Departments in universities worldwide would think about your fragility. Anyways, to quote a previous poster... Freak out!

Best come back ever.

Sometimes, we think it does not make sense when we do not understand something.

I may be wrong, but they do not charge for viewing the videos. They charge for a premium membership with access to the videos, among other perks. When providers complain about these things, I think they are misdirecting their energies. Instead, get organized. Develop an alternative. Advocate for decriminalization.

I recognize monopoly disadvantages, but I do not understand why people think Rentmen should share profits with the escorts. They are just advertisers. Escorts are as much clients of the website as we are. Rentmen is not OF. The images providers publish are advertisements, not content on sale. If you are an escort and think RM is taking advantage of your nude photos, save them for your OnlyFans.

I subscribe to @wsc's unattachment to labels, but I like "queer" because of her questioning, non-labeling meaning. The word has evolved far from where some place it as "strange" towards a general category to engulf all non-conforming to mainstream sexualities. I understand when so many gay men reject the word. Many homosexual men have joined the mainstream and have no interest in questioning their sexuality. I am not in that club. Not only do I believe that my sexual preferences and the way I understand sexuality can evolve, but I have experienced that fluidity and am still experiencing it. Nowadays, I think "queer" has a much more progressive, open, and inclusive meaning than gay, lesbian, or any other traditional sexual identity.

☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

Do we have Family Dollars customers in a forum where members pay +300 an hour for sex?

"gay" is also used as an insult by many. Teens (at least in DC) use it as a pejorative adjective to describe anything and anyone they do not like.

I like sexual dissident.

My coming out was a long process that started in 1983, when I embraced my homosexuality (I was 21 and had been playing with my cousins since our early teens). It was long because I was in many social circles and did not come out to all of them at once. Of course, the critical date is when I came out to my parents and family in 1985. We should replicate the positive gay visibility effects and develop a Sex Work Coming Out campaign, with famous Joes and Whores looking at the camera and saying -I am into sex work. Guess on what side... (with mischievous smiles)

I think I do agree with @MikeBiDude, when he feels we are overreacting here. But I also agree with @coriolis888 and the sex workers that feel like Rentmen is taking advantage of its monopolistic position. The clients should go somewhere else, as @BOZO T CLOWNstates. Unfortunately, they do not have anywhere to go because, again, RM is a de facto monopoly. Some monopolies in other industries were so strong that they had to be broken into smaller companies, because their power would not allow competition to develop. We are following Capitalism rules, and these rules have taught us that in cases like this the fight will be hard and long, if anyone is fighting and not just venting. Meanwhile, the service the website is providing seems to be excellent, even compared to similar websites in other countries. The company established a monopoly by sweeping the competition with better service. Paying 240 annually does not seem to be too much for clients who pay 300 per one hour. I am unsure of the prices for the advertising escorts, but I would assume the company offers a scale with affordable options for everyone. You do not even need to pay the annual fee, but a monthly option.

LOL. And you think you can control that? You are adorable. Without making any assumptions about your R&C skills, I wrote "you have probably". I think that asserting a possibility is not making an assumption. Living through the HIV pandemic was a tough experience for all of us. If you did advocate for health services and support for the victims, you know how tough it was and how many times our efforts were defeated before we made any gains. If you had learned the lesson, Rentboy should be just a step back in the fight for decriminalization and normalization of sex work.

You have probably never fought for anything. You cannot quite just because you failed once, or twice, or many times. Look at any significant gain any minority has achieved. How long did it take? How many defeats became lessons?