TotallyOz

ps I went to Belo Horizonte on my first trip to Brazil. Not for the sex, though that would have been nice. My first BF's mother lived outside of the city and I had bought her a new porch, waster / dryer and maybe even a house. So, I wanted to check my investment.

Gay Belo Horizonte – Life's A Bar Here at Boy Toy, we like to tell you about great places you can go to get your gay on. And usually, we talk about cities with lots and lots of gay attractions where you can spend a week or more playing with your favorite boy toys. But, we also know that this is not the only type of gay travel you are into. Sometimes you want to learn a little bit about stopover points where you can spend a day or two before moving on – after all, not every place can be San Francisco! With that in mind, we thought we'd spend some time talking about Belo Horizonte, Brazil – where you can truly see beautiful horizons. While Belo Horizonte is the third largest city in Brazil, it is generally a stopover point for people seeing other parts of the country. But, just because you won't want to settle down for weeks on end doesn't mean you can't have fun. Belo Horizonte is very gay friendly, less expensive than Rio, and full of boys for you to play with. Navigating the city can be a bit of a challenge, because it was originally laid out as a grid, but then diagonal streets were added later on - so either stick to taxis or make sure the GPS in your phone is working so you don't get lost. Drink, Drank, Drunk There is one main reason why a certain type of tourist loves Belo Horizonte – because it's a great city to get drunk in. In fact, it has more bars per capita than any other city in the world – and is proud of this fact. So, when you come here, be prepared to get your drink on before, during and after you get your gay on. It goes without saying that with this many bars, nearly all the cruising is done indoors – so you won't have to hit the parks to find someone to hook up with. Many of the bars are packed with male escorts, so hooking up with them shouldn't be a problem. One minor warning; some of the bars are known for inventing a “cover charge” when there isn't one, when they see a tourist coming. So, if you are asked to pay money to get in, simply move on to another bar – there are plenty of them and it's not worth arguing with the one guy that's trying to rip you off. The morning after in Belo Horizonte can be rough, but luckily the bars have a cure – they will put fresh acerola puree into your orange juice, one of the only hangover cures in the world that actually works. Even one our most illustrious posters has said that if you go to Brazil and are only looking for sex that he would “highly recommend Belo Horizonte.” When you get a tip like that from a maverick, be sure to listen. When E.F. Hutton speaks…… The most popular sauna is Olimpo and you might need a Google map to find it. There are some very nice hotels that are very close to this and other saunas. The Gayborhood The gay scene in Belo Horizonte revolves around booze. So, it should come as no surprise that the main gayborhood, Savassi, is also the area with the most bars in this pub-packed city. You can bar hop around if you want, but many of the bars here also have beautiful outdoor terraces where it's easy to cruise while you settle back and let the warm weather wash over you. This is also the area where you'll find fliers and ads for the latest gay events, and you'll be able to get a sense of what cool things are going down during your stay. If you can book a hotel near here, that's all for the better since it will make staggering home that much easier. What To Do When You Are Sober Now, it's a shocking thought for this cockaholic, but there may be times in Belo Horizonte when you want to do something other than drink and scope out the night's tasty twink or burly bear. While there aren't a ton of tourist attractions here there are a few, so we'll talk about a couple things you can do if you stay more than a few days and need to dry out. The Alta Vila Tower is a great place to go and get a view of the city. When you are done looking at the skyline, you can go back to the ground floor and get a few drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe. For an even more sedate afternoon, head over to the Parque Municipal, which was designed to mirror traditional French parks. It has several lagoons where you can pay a small fee to rent a boat and feed the ducks – which is a more common activity in this city than you would expect. If you think size matters, why not check out the Museu de Ciencias Naturais, which features giant whale skeletons? Should you be in town on a Sunday, head over to the Hippie Fair, which attracts more than 100,000 shoppers a week. You can buy anything and everything you'd ever need to go to a Phish concert and if hipster boys are your thing, you'll be sure to find them here buying perfectly faded skinny jeans. Finally, head over to the São Francisco de Assisi Church – a piece of modern architecture so weird looking, it took the Vatican over 10 years to decide if they were willing to consecrate it. In the end, the weird won. Come On And Grab A Drink With Us In Belo Horizonte! Because you know you'll want to look at one of the cute boys and ask yourself, “Is he here because it's happy hour, or is it happy hour because he's here?” cc boytoy.com 2013

This truly is fabulous news. Although I did think that GB already allowed this? Didn't Elton John get married already?

Milk Sometimes a movie comes around that is so inspiring, it reminds you of old Hollywood before the cynical post-Tarantino era swallowed up independent film with its festival of violent snark. A good example of this is Gus Van Sant's beautiful, moving movie, Milk. In fact, the film is so beautiful that if you didn't know your history you'd be convinced that the director made it up. But, no, as we all know it is the story of San Francisco political activist Harvey Milk, a fascinating figure of both triumph and tragedy. Though, his story is just a cover for Van Sant to explore the history of the gay rights movement in San Francisco and to look at how that would eventually spread around the United States. What makes the film work so well are two crucial things Sean Penn's Oscar-winning performance in the lead role, and Van Sant's use of archival news footage to show exactly how strange things were before gay rights activism became a thing. That only 30 years ago newscasters like Walter Cronkite didn't even know how to pronounce the word homosexual correctly on camera says a lot just on its own. That Anita Bryant was able to go on television and hiss homosexual myths and slurs that even the most die-hard Republican would be afraid to say is astounding on its own. It's really hard to think just how bad things were back then, and the movie is brilliant in making you realize just how far we have come. The film's structure also works well. It starts out telling us that Milk will be murdered. Then, it goes back in time and it's up to us to just wait for it to happen something that brings a feeling of tension and dread to each and every scene as it plays out. And, the way it plays out is fascinating. It first flashes back to Milk and his boyfriend (played by James Franco) moving into a low-rent, heavily Catholic area of San Francisco called The Castro. But, this isn't the gay friendly Castro that we know today. Instead it's a neighborhood in need of gentrification, and not happy about who will gentrify it. When Milk first tries to set up his camera shop he's told point blank that other business owners will shut him down to keep gays out of the neighborhood. At this point Milk, who is 40 years old, has lived in the closet his entire life. You'd expect that his first time being confronted with society coming down on him for his homosexuality might push him back into the closet. It doesn't, and instead provokes him into vocal political activism. This is something he has to pick up on his own, but he does so, motivated by the frustration and anger that have built up over the years of hiding who he really is. It's interesting that Milk is not portrayed as a saint, but as a human being. He has some great ideas for motivating people and getting things done. He also, however, has some ideas that remain controversial to this day. One of them was his trademark of beginning every political speech with the line, I'm here to recruit you. Of course, that line has been used against the entire gay movement by homophobes to this day. His other controversial idea was to take the gay rights movement forward by outing people whether they wanted to be out or not. His theory that if people realized how many gay people they knew they would change their minds about gay rights is sound politically, but remains a bone of contention in the gay political community to this day. Of course, he did have other great ideas. The chief one was that the way to gay rights was to get other marginalized groups involved in the political discussion. He did so by getting hippies, artists and black groups to join him in his coalition creating strength through sheer numbers. His other great idea was to spur people just to the point of rioting, but then use his charm to stop them and turn the riots into peaceful protests. This earned him the respect of law enforcement groups and still more members of the community, who were happy to see a man who could avoid violence gain a level of influence. The movie plays out at a near perfect rhythm. He keeps coming into contact with the man who will eventually kill him (a Catholic father Milk is convinced is a closet gay) and they almost become friends. It's also interesting that it's not clear at the end if Milk's assassination was a political crime or one simply committed by a man who had lost his marbles after losing his job. (Rather famously, his killer would claim that he had eaten too much junk food and that had set him off, creating the concept of the Twinkie Defense.) But, at the end of the day, politics is the least important part of this film. It's watching the Castro grown and develop at the same time Milk himself is growing and developing. The film is inspirational and impossible to ignore. It's difficult to imagine a feel good movie about a man who will eventually be assassinated, but that's exactly what Van Sant has managed to create here. Milk is sensational. Watch it yourself. Watch it with your friends. Show it to your mom and your sister. Let people know where we've been, how much we accomplished, and how far we still have to go. It's what Harvey Milk would have wanted. cc boytoy.com 2013

ONLY 17. Wow. That is great. Can't wait to see more.

That is because you are a good sweet man. I am not. I would have fired this pig fucker Bob Grisham. Yes, I said it. Bob Grisham from Rogersville, Alabama is a piece of shit. I had teachers like this 30 years ago. They should all be retired now. This one is still there to corrupt the minds of our young people. Shame on him. Shame on the board that didn't fire him.

Yes, they gave Hitler a second chance as well. It didn't turn out so well.

Suspended without pay for ONLY 10 days. Good ole Alabama boys ey? http://timesdaily.com/stories/Board-suspends-Grisham-10-days-for-comments,202171

I have stayed here on my second trip to Thailand and it was a good place to stay. It is very reasonable in the rates and the location is great. It is very close to Tawan and the gay bars area.

I have not stayed in the hotel but I have eaten in the restaurant many times and enjoyed it. The hotel is very convenient to the gay area and Jupiter 2000. It is hard to find a better location than this or the Le Meridan.

I have stayed at this hotel in the past and had a good time. The hotel is connected to the sauna and if you are looking for the easiest access to the sauna, great massages and a real gay scene that is not a money boy scene, this place is great. My only concern there was the slow speed of the Internet but this was many years ago. I don't know if that is improved but I would assume the speed is much better now. I have also been there just to get massages. Even though the massages are NOT happy ending massages, I have a few rub and tugs over the years. But, this is NOT a place for that and most of the masseurs will not do that. It is not often a private room where the massages. The place is very clean and IMHO, the massages are some of the best Thai massages in Bangkok.

The Swiss Lodge is a Boutique hotel set squarely in the heart of Bangkok on pedestrian-friendly tree-lined Convent road adjacent to the Silom – Sathorn – Rama IV business, entertainment, and shopping district, the famous Patpong Night Market and just minutes from the BTS Sky train and MRTA underground subway systems. Bangkok’s major roads and highways converge on this area putting the rest of the country at your doorstep. Rated 4-star by various professional institutions, guests repeatedly refer to us as a home away from home or an oasis during their repeated visits. Swiss Management and Thai Hospitality blend exquisitely in this purposeful environment which is privately owned and run with a fully trained staff ready to serve you around the clock with enthusiastic decorum. The SWISS LODGE 3 Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak Bangkok, Thailand 10500 http://www.swisslodge.com/

This is a very convenient hotel to the gay areas of Bangkok, Pat Pong, BTS Sala Daeng. All guestrooms feature a variety of comforts such as in house movies, shower, internet access – wireless (complimentary), bathtub, complimentary bottled water to please even the most discerning guest. Besides, the hotel's host of recreational offerings ensures you have plenty to do during your stay. Discover an engaging blend of professional service and a wide array of features at Suriwongse Hotel. http://suriwongsehotel.co.th/ 31/1, 33 Soi Thaniya 2 Surawongse Road, Bangrak, Silom / Sathorn Bangkok, Thailand 10500

For over forty years, the Rose hotel Bangkok has been one of the best-kept secret addresses of the city. We believe in being small yet beautiful. Our boutique facilities offer prime privacy and perfect position within its intimate size amidst the urban setting. The hotel’s mid-century-designed building houses stylish rooms and suites. All are refurbished in contemporary Asian style and filled with contemporary artworks. The swimming pool and Ruen Urai Fine Thai Cuisine, our signature restaurant, are hidden in the petit urban oasis in the back. Moreover, we have Rose Hip Dining Space and Bar, meeting and conference rooms, a gym, and saunas for guests’ recreation and relaxation. http://rosehotelbkk.com/index.php The Rose Hotel Bangkok 118 Surawongse Road, Bangrak Bangkok 10500 Thailand

I hope he feels better soon as well. The flu has been bad this season.

bkkguy, I am not sure what problem you have with this. Many readers and many visitors to Thailand want to know what places to go and which ones to visit. You may be the most knowledgeable person on earth, know more about Thailand than anyone in Thailand but I am not and I am glad to get to know some places that I have not visited yet that are in a gay area or are gay friendly. And, if you do know all about these places, why not post your experiences or reviews? As you say they are advertisements, I disagree. I think they are lists to point people in the right direction. The site is not compensated for the listings. They are free and they are a way to help gay owned or operated or gay friendly businesses to get more business. What is wrong with that? As the honorable Jomtien said, if you don't like them, why read them? Skip over them if you don't like them. It is pretty easy to me.

I am very excited to see this new movie. It looks fabulous and having read ALL the Wizard of Oz books, including the ones in the series most of you have never heard about, this movie looks promising for an Oz fan. L. Frank Baum would be pleased.

How To Treat Your Fag Hag At Boy Toy, we talk a lot about how to deal with male escorts, how to suck cock, and ways to take it up the ass like a man without hurting yourself. That's all well and good and information you need to know. But, there is an aspect of gay life that doesn't involve dick at all! Even if you are the gayest gay in the village, women will be a part of your life. Everyone needs a fag hag, because sometimes you have to get away from your fuck buddies, and your straight male friends ain't going to set foot inside a Lady Ga Gay concert with you. But, having a fag hag isn't as simple as just hanging around with a gay-friendly girl. It's a relationship like any other, and needs to be nurtured. So, today we are going to give you some basic guidelines in fag hag maintenance. Don't worry - you won't have to change her oil or give her a lube job! The main job of dealing with your fag hag is drama minimization. If you think that your 20-year-old twink boytoy is dramarama, it's nothing compared to what you might have to deal with if you step on your fag hag's toes. You have to remember that having a fag hag is like any other relationship. You have to respect her feelings at all times, so that she doesn't get hurt or become overly emotional. So, this means you don't blow her off for weeks at a time when you have a new boyfriend. Trust me, she wants to hear all about him; so even if you don't have time to meet up for a Mai Tai, text her details about what's going on so she feels like she's being kept in the loop remember, you'll need her shoulder to cry on when/if he heads home with the head bartender! But while you want to keep her close, you can't keep her too close. It's easy for a fag hag to develop a crush on you, and she'll tell herself that you are a man who loves her for who she is and not simply because she has a vagina (like the straight men in her life). This means that even if you are on copious amounts of MDMA and start feeling like a mouth has no gender, you still can't let her make out with you or go down on you. It's crossing an important boundary and there will be emotional and dramatic repercussions down the line that you don't want to deal with. You also need to make sure that you don't make her feel bad about herself. If she's going through a dry spell picking up guys, then you don't need to brag to her about the three guys you hooked up with in the dark room of The Cock over the weekend. Because, then she'll start questioning why she isn't hooking up as much as you are and, do you really want to spend several days assuring her that there is a guy for her out there? That said, when she does hook up you need to listen to her. Yes, I know that hearing the down and dirty details of straight sex may not be your thing, but it's important to her to gush once in a while and she might feel that her female friends will judge her and that her straight male friends might get jealous, so you do have to listen to her. Just focus on the things that interest you. Ask what his dick was like, and then you can fantasize about it (without telling her, of course). And pick something out about the way he acted and tell her it was cute. Of course, you also need to give her a pat on the back it's all part of the process. On the other hand, it's a good idea to listen to her when she talks about dudes, and give her good advice. Girls often romanticize what guys do and put a lot of unrealistic expectations on them. But, you know what guys are really like. If she says things that are red flags to you that he may be a dickweed or in some other way taking advantage of her, you need to give her the straight advice so that she doesn't end up in a bad relationship. Hopefully, she'll do the same for you down the line. One of the main things to remember is that from time to time, she'll go to the gay bars and clubs with you. On these occasions, you really can't just pick up a guy and go home with him no matter how cute he is. It's dangerous for women to try to make their way home on their own, plus she'll feel blown off and hurt if you simply ditch her. Think of it this way - if you were out at her favorite bar, would you want her to ditch you there? It goes both ways. Another important thing is that her close friends and family members are off-limits. Yes, her brother who just came out of the closet might be super cute, and she may even encourage you to hook up with him - but don't do it. If a breakup happens, it will be messy and you'll be forcing her to chose sides. That's not fair to anyone. While on that subject, don't try to play matchmaker for her. You may be very well intentioned, but you don't want to get caught in a mess because if things go wrong, you'll be the one she blames. In dire situations, don't balk at playing her beau if she needs it. When you are out with her and a guy starts pestering her, you should step in and help her out of the situation. You can, of course, give her fashion advice when she needs it. You may be able to see how she could present herself better in order to attract more guys so that she has as many stories to share with you as you have with her. That said, you do need to stand your ground if she gets a boyfriend and starts blowing you off. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and you need to set her straight if she starts to pull a disappearing act on you just because she's riding the cock fantastic for a couple of weeks. Keep all this stuff in mind, and you'll end up with a great shopping pal who is more than willing to listen to you when you are down and you'll always have someone to go to the Beyonce concert with. Fag hags are great to have around so treat them well, and you'll have a friend for life.

Thailand, long a front-leader as a destination for retirees, is now facing stiff competition for the gray dollar from other Asian destinations. In a recent survey by International Living, Malaysia was the only Asian country to appear in the top five havens for foreign retirees, pushing Thailand into ninth place. Malaysias attractions were said to be its balmy climate, quality medical care, widely-spoken English and the low cost of living. Although Thailand issues far more annual retirement visas than Malaysia 35,000 compared with 3,000 at the last count Malaysia is actively recruiting foreigners who do not insist on a cosmopolitan nightclub scene. Their Second Home Programme, launched a decade ago, includes a ten-year multi-entry visa, tax exemption for remittance of offshore pension funds, the right to open a business and work for 20 hours a week, tax-free purchase of locally-made cars and ownership of freehold property subject to some restrictions. However, an initial deposit must be made in a local bank, typically US $50,000. The one-year retirement visa issued by Thailand is easy to obtain but has no similar perks. In Thailand, a local bank account must contain 800,000 baht or evidence shown of yearly foreign income to the same amount. Although pension income must be confirmed by the applicants embassy or consulate, it is well known that many diplomatic posts make no check whatsoever. The downside of the Thai retirement visa is that working is strictly forbidden and there are penalties and inconvenience for those forgetting to obtain a re-entry permit for foreign travel or omitting to report their address every three months. The minimum age is 50, somewhat higher than the regulations in several other countries. Some other ASEAN countries also are promoting themselves as retirement havens. The Philippines, the only other Asian country to appear in International Livings table of the top 22 destinations, has a special retirees resident visa which is proving popular with Chinese and Japanese as well as Americans. Financial requirements are a time-deposit of US $10,000 and a monthly pension of at least US $800, whilst wives and dependants can follow with a minimum of bureaucratic fuss. Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam do not yet have an extended visa programme for retirees, although it is possible to live there without regular departures. Cambodia is not strict about issuing multiple-entry, one-year business visas which can be renewed even if no business has been transacted. In Laos, long-stay foreigners often volunteer with an NGO-sponsored organization, and Vietnamese embassies abroad can issue one-year visas which may be extended. Indonesia requires that retirees rent a dwelling and employ at least one local as a maid or driver. Singapore is too expensive for most pensioners and a five-year permit requires a high income as well as purchase of a residence in certain permitted zones. The Myanmar embassy in Bangkok told Pattaya Today that its visa regulations were currently under review. Author Peter Cox, who is researching a book on retirement, said that the onset of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 will have many consequences for the retirement market. He predicted that many retirees would seek a long-term visa in more than one country to take advantage of the easing of regional travel restrictions in the medium term. Cox also cautioned that Thailand needed to re-examine its policy on retirement visas by reducing the age limit and offering incentives such as those pioneered by Malaysia. The International Living report suggests that the best country of all in which to retire is Ecuador, quoting its low living costs. A beer costs 85 cents (28 baht) and a doctors visit is about US $25, not to mention the special benefits for retirees which include half-price entertainment and local transport, discounted airfares and refunds of sales tax. It is, however, suggested that you learn some Spanish before taking up residence in Ecuador or you may risk many lonely evenings. http://pattayatoday.net/news/latest-edition/retirement-options-are-expanding/

This has made national news around the world and IMHO, the guy should be fire. However, he has the support of his school and his community. It will be interesting to see what the school board does in the case. They could just let it go but to do so makes it look like Alabama hasn't changed in the last 50 years. In many cases that is right as you can see just from listening to the tape. The guy Bob Grisham is a nasty bigot.

TW, have you ever been to Barcelona? If so, you should love anything Spanish.

Corner Bar has great potential and the location couldn't be better. At one time, I was close to buying the bar, (before Gary) but glad I didn't. Since that brain fart, I have not considered the idea of owning another bar as too much hassle and too many issues. But, the bar can be fantastic if run right! I wish the new owners great success.

If I thought for one moment that I would be able to do it, I would spend a few months doing it. I know of several friends who went to the school in Bangkok mentioned and enjoyed it. Months later, it was all forgotten. I think I would be a failure in learning the language as some of us are just not good with our own language and it would be harder for us to learn another one.

I love Tappas and will try this place on my next trip. I love Spanish food and boys! Has anyone eaten here yet?