gay men?

[Guest guest]

....and straight men see everything through the filter of...???<br>FBL

[Guest guest]

Ever read a Gay newspaper of NY or SF?<br><br>You'll see my point.

[Guest guest]

Time to let this one go, dude....

[Guest guest]

Who is holding on?

[Guest guest]

regularly. your point is still obscure.

[Guest guest]

don't wish to get into an off-topic gay/straight

dialectic here, but share this information in the interest

of satya, since the subject was brought

up.<br><br>the gay newspapers in new york city at present are

'the blade' and 'lgny.' they are mostly concerned with

the political reality of achieving equal rights.

among other issues, they cover the effort to repeal

laws blatantly discriminitory toward gay people, such

as the gay-specific "sodomy" laws in texas and four

other u.s. states, which mandate imprisonment of men

for sleeping together while gay. their enforcement is

supported by the current u.s. president. (thirteen other

u.s. states have laws that make any sex act outside of

penial/vaginal copulation illegal, whether engaged in by

straights or gays.) <br><br>in certain fundamentalist

religion-ruled countries (iran, for example) gay men and women

are sentenced to death by stoning, dismemberment,

burning at the stake and other medieval delights. there

are reports that executing a virgin is against

religious doctrine, so lesbians are first forced into a

mock wedding and raped by their new "husbands," being

further tortured and then killed only after enjoying this

charming honeymoon.<br><br>far from being focused on gay

sex, 'the blade' and 'lgny' address the problems

encountered when certain of those outside the gay community

define gay people through the prism of their own

straight obsessions about gay sex. editorial staff and

contributors at these newspapers seem to comprise as many gay

women as men.<br><br>new york also has a magazine

called 'hx', which started ten years ago as a pamphlet

listing bars and clubs, and originally described itself

unabashedly as 'the politically incorrect, totally biased

party paper.' as such it was devoted to facilitating

its readership in getting drunk and getting laid,

pastimes the gay community certainly did not invent, and

does not dominate, being such a small minority of the

general population. though "fun city" stuff is still the

emphasis of 'hx', it has evolved into a more well-rounded

entertainment and cultural guide. they did a nice article about

our yoga sessions for men, and regularly run features

-- and sometimes whole issues -- about the health

concerns of the gay community. (there is a clone of this

magazine called 'next.') still, their emphasis is on

entertainment. to judge by these magazines the dominant thoughts

of all gay men would be tantamount to judging all

straight men by 'penthouse' or 'time out.' might be right

about some people some of the time, but probably not

useful to generalize.<br><br>if truly interested in gay

issues vis-a-vis yoga, here are a couple of links about

our men's sessions (which, by the way, have never

been restricted to gay men -- we never check for

membership

cards):<br><br><a href=http://members.nbci.com/omboy/92-wingwang.htm

target=new>http://members.nbci.com/omboy/92-wingwang.htm</a><br><a

href=http://members.nbci.com/omboy/81-hx.htm

target=new>http://members.nbci.com/omboy/81-hx.htm</a><br><br>and here is an

eclectic list of yoga links, many

concerned with gay spirituality, indian/hindu gays,

etc.:<br><br><a href=http://members.nbci.com/omboy/8-links.htm

target=new>http://members.nbci.com/omboy/8-links.htm</a>

[Guest guest]

Alright.

[Guest guest]

Being a kind of armchair hack sociologist, I used

to be fascinated with reading the gay newapapers of

SF and NY. The men's pov, and the women's (which I

saw as somewhat different and in some ways ironically

exclusive of each other). The celebration of life and

freedom in Gay community stands out vibrantly; the

contributions to society by Gays is enormous. The tales of

trying to fit in to a life dictated by parents and

society is something I strongly sympathize with and I

respect the courage of the Out, though some I see as more

graceful in this than others. I also tend to think that

Gay people in general are MORE interesting to talk

with than your average straight. <br><br>Politically,

I'm all for the idea of same sex partnerships getting

the same gov rights and benefits as the heteros get.

Beyond that, no more...no quotas for hiring,

etc.<br><br>My view on AIDS: Sympathy for all who've suffered

and died from it, but no respect for those involved

with aspects of the propoganda campaign directed at

straights that began in the early 90s. That is, the AIDS

epidemic in this country overwhelmingly has its source in

tainted needles and anal sex, contrary to what any

special interest group has tried to say.

[Guest guest]

and one more thing that probably obvious: though I respect gays, general

references to anal sex I don't find cute or funny.

[Guest guest]

Just anal sex or all kinds of sex??<br>PM

[Guest guest]

Are you thinking of running for some political office?

[Guest guest]

To maintain brahmacharya one may have sex only with one's lawful wife for the

purpose of begetting good progeny. The Yoga Mala makes that clear.

[Guest guest]

I say it's spinach and I say the hell with it.

[Guest guest]

yoga mala is but one text. paths are many.

[Guest guest]

doesn't that make you anal-retentive?

[Guest guest]

I don't think that it matters at all for an

astanga practitioner if you have sex only with your

spouse (regardless of whether your marriage is gay or

straight), or for the purpose of begetting good progeny

only, or whether you stick to a set-down timetable if

deciding when to go to bed whith someone else.<br><br>The

state of your mind may be more important. Of course, if

you lead a chaotic sexual life, you may never be

capable of acquiring the inner peace & the discipline

necessary to pursue and hold on a rigorous practice such as

astanga yoga.<br><br>On the other hand, a regular astanga

practice will teach you discipline; and by continually

bringing your mind back to the rhythm of the ujjayi breath

when doing the postures, your mind will be calmed &

controlled, ultimately resulting in a control of the

senses.<br><br>It's true that the course of true love never runs

snooth. But at least, through a regular practice of

astanga yoga, you may be able to gain more discipline,

order & clarity in your sentimental affairs.

[Guest guest]

"The course of true love never runs smooth." An English phrase I found in my

dictionary. Not "snooth". Sorry!

[Guest guest]

Your opinion makes me feel so much better, Shiny. Thanks for sharing.

[Guest guest]

>The course of true love never runs smooth."

<br>>An English phrase I found in my dictionary.

<br>>Not "snooth". Sorry! <br><br>Not to be the Grammar

Police, but the correct usage is "smoothly."

[Guest guest]

And when you get old, you can make up for it by coping feels with your young

female students.

[Guest guest]

doubtful that when the yoga mala was written in

1958 there was any consideration of out gay men or

women in committed relationships. you suggest that

anyone with a homosexual orientation cannot choose the

traditional householder path, but must remain celibate for

life. or they could pretend to be hetero and marry the

opposite gender and make "good progeny," an act in total

conflict with most of the other yamas and

niyamas.<br><br>padmanow makes sense. fundamentalists latch onto what

appears to be one scriptural prohibition or another

against a group they do not identify themselves with, and

habitually fantasize and gossip about. this sets the stage

for all sorts of confusion-based mischief, and the

obliteration of the original spirit of the teaching. guess

that's why there are people, organizations and

governments loving god but harassing, persecuting, torturing

and killing homos.<br><br>personally believe that

brahmacharya is a useful, liberating path personally, but has

to be chosen and experienced on one's own as part of

a broader spiritual path. teachings are intended to

guide one personally, not to empower those who would

restrict the personal behaviors of others. <br><br>ironic

to have been in ashram situations where gays are

eyed stereotypically as priapic satyrs, but it is

straight visitors rustling around in the bushes every

night, treating their experience as an adult summer

camp. (why would a gay man need to go all the way to an

ashram to find sex?)<br><br>perhaps if the topic is a

burning one to many, someone in touch with k. pattabhi

jois might ask him directly his specific belief on the

topic.<br><br>here's a fun article from 8/14/2000, with some critical

words from the master himself regarding those who

present his teachings with wrong intent:

<br><br><a href=http://www.rebeccamead.com/2000_08_14_art_yoga.htm

target=new>http://www.rebeccamead.com/2000_08_14_art_yoga.htm</a>

[Guest guest]

Ha,Ha,Ha - bit of a give away that one ! I like your sense of humour.

[Guest guest]

madge got it down in nine words:<br><br>why should it matter who we choose to

love <br><br>;O] no#23

[Guest guest]

ah, but unfortunately someone will always

respond, "because master tells me it matters," or "master

tells me god tells him it matters." got to get all

those gay yogis out of the shala and back into the

bathhouses, or prison, where they belong. best rewrite or

expunge the story of siva, agni and karttikeya. that

lingam thing has got to go too, and all the calendar art

of rama and hanuman embracing obviously must be

burned. my indian friends tell me the brits were good at

burning ancient yoga and ayurvedic texts, and imposing

puritanical restrictions on indian society. the flavor of all

that still lingers.<br><br>when i meet a sex-obsessed

church lady, newly hindu around the edges, clucking over

what boys are doing with each other, i just smile and

say, "krishna don't care."<br><br>more importantly,

happy you have adopted the generous-nosed emoticon. if

he ever gives you any problems send him back to me,

and i shall paddle his little bun-bun: (|). when will

someone invent emoticon uprighting software that will

rotate them 90 degrees?<br><br>;O]~

[Guest guest]

I for one don't give a shit what you do. The

queers on this board are so defensive.<br><br>I'm simply

saying that according to KPJ, emission of vital fluid

(semen, in your case) and brahmacharya don't go hand in

hand. Or cock in hand. or cock in orifice.<br><br>If

you're hellbent on becoming at one with the supreme

brahmin you could try the ejaculation control that

TLSlade speaks of. Or get a vasectomy and hump away. When

you reach samadhi send me a postcard.<br><br>Why do I

bother to write this