New Horizons For Fifty - A Different View of Things

I first met Francisco right around the time he won Mr. LA Cub 2016. He is Mr. Sanctuary Leather 2019 currently, and if you spend any time around him or look at his social media profile, you know him for his smile and deep brown eyes (and the occasional butt shot). But when I found out what his role is as an essential worker, I knew he had a perspective we had to read about and learn about. Shout out to the front line workers and essential workers. We’d be in an even bigger mess without you!!!   Eric: Tell me three things about you. Francisco: I was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. I joined the US Navy at age 18 and traveled the world for ten years; my favorite place in the world is Bangkok. I studied architecture and photography for 4 yrs and have been living in Los Angeles for seven years. E: When did you first hear about Covid and what were your initial thoughts? Could you see a lockdown coming? What has been your reaction to the times when CA has tried to re-open...

Continuing along with theme of National Poetry month, our next contributor is shaking things up, as one of the youngest (if not youngest) Bear titleholders in Bear community history. Alan Gabriel is the current Mr. Los Angeles Leather Bear and like many who comes to play, sense of place is very important to him. Read on. The Wandering Traveler Alan Gabriel A young wandering traveler, curious about his world, curious about his surrounding, curious to see what is out there outside his world. The young traveler wanting to know, but, his walls began to build walls limiting his views. He tries to destroy them, but he is too weak for now. As he continues his journey, the walls follow. waiting …waiting to capture the wandering traveler. He sees something new, begins to wonder and see the beauty of the new, The walls destroyed the new. He is sad, lost, confused. The walls protect the young traveler grew, but he wanted to see the new. he saw a boat floating on the ocean—curious, He began his es...

The setting for this poem is one of my favorite places on Earth - Saratoga Springs Retreat Center, in Clear Lake, CA. I'd gotten used to having a weekend camping getaway each year because of my participation on Strength For the Journey, a Methodist retreat for PWA/HIV at Camp Cedar Glen in Julian, CA, and when I moved up to the Bay Area in 2006, these retreats became about sexuality as well as spirituality. In 2007, I first went there for a now-retired event called Leather Levi Weekend (LLW). For the next ten years, this was my retreat, whether through LLW or the Bootcamp. I have had many sacred and sacral experiences there, and I acquired my love of all things purple hanky. The accompanying video link is a studio recitation of this, which I wrote while attending my first formal poetry class with Sharon Coleman at Berkeley City College. Trust me, you want a teacher like her to help you step into the poetry of your life. Video link for this poem is here:  https://www.youtube.com/wat...