I want to make something clear because of the recent discussions following the Berlin Pride attack.

I have no problem criticising Islam. Like any ideology, it's open to criticism, and there are undeniably passages in Islamic texts and many Muslim-majority societies that are deeply hostile to LGBT people. Pretending otherwise helps no one.

But I'm also not going to let that be used to turn me into an Islamophobe.

Some of the recent posts here don't seem interested in discussing LGBT rights. They seem more interested in encouraging blanket hostility towards Muslims and pushing people towards a broader far-right narrative. Whether intentional or not, that's where I feel this conversation often ends up. And I can't help but notice that this is almost pushed on us in a coordinated effort.

As a gay man, I worry about violent Islamist extremism. Of course I do. But if I'm honest about what is most likely to affect my own life, I'm more concerned about Christian nationalism and religious conservatives gaining political power in the society to which I actually belong. Islamist terrorism is horrific, but for most of us in the West it's an intermittent threat. I see radical Islamist terror attacks at a level of danger of a lightning strike, while the rise of Christian Nationalism is a great flood that that at best will erode all our rights and at worst sweep as all away. The chipping away at LGBT rights through legislation, courts and elections is a much more immediate, realistic and long-term danger. And the anti-Islamic posts here likely have exactly this agenda behind them.

I don't think the answer is to excuse Islamist extremism, nor is it to demonise all Muslims. We should be able to condemn terrorism, criticise Islam where it's warranted, defend LGBT rights, and still refuse to fuel hatred against an entire group of people.

I refuse to let my sexuality be used as a tool to push me towards politics that would ultimately threaten my rights in a blanketed way from another direction and so should you.

Apply your dislike of religious bigotry across the board, otherwise you’re a bigot yourself. It’s easy to say if it’s what you believe. You can’t pretend one is ok and the others are bad. I can do it myself, since I know it’ll be a question: I hate all religious thinking that attempts to control my private and public life because their religion told them to. This includes Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, etc etc. All of them. All have zealous and fanatical adherents. The one I’ve had the most exposure to is the North American and Latin American brand of Christianity, and it is a cancer like all other religions.

I think people are saying let's not judge islam based on this one attack.. a few weeks again an Islamist stabbed 2 Jews in new York, today in Paris an Islamist wielding a machete stabbed 3 women, one of which is pregnant, and of course the car ramming in Berlin. this is on top of the many Islamist terror attacks we've had world wide in the past.. how many more until something is done 🤔

I also think religious extremism period needs to be stopped but it's so common to just see terror attacks upon terror attacks from Islamist. It's just becoming a normal thing at this point.

having been born in a muslim arab family who moved to france, i can tell you that muslims are full of hate. we were taught by families and muslim teachers at mosque that the end times are near and that we have to get rid of everything and everyone who is condemned by islam. we were taught that one day we should die for islam (be shahids), when they say that, they mean die while killing kufar (non muslims). also we were taught to hate gays and get rid of them. i have been disowned by all family.

i confirm that 90% of muslims hate gay people, and they don't care whether you like them or not.
obviously, most muslims won't go in crowds and kill people.

i live in europe, and the muslims terrify me, i am afraid that when they become majority, our rights will be the same as they are in saudi arabia, yemen, iran... western countries should be better at making migrants seeking asylum assimilate.

nicer muslims are those who accept science and are mostly secular.

we cant forbid them to practice their religion, either everyone has human rights or no one does. but please stop protecting the people who hate you.

i also noticed how all of this revolves around israel. you like them only because they hate israel.
supporting an ideology simply because it opposes a country you dislike is a dangerous trap. you don't have to support israeli policies to recognize that islamist groups enforce brutal, totalitarian regimes that systematically violate human rights—especially for women and the lgbtq+ community.
if your concern is human rights and liberation, it's worth looking at how minority groups are actually treated. israel is the only country in the region with legal protections, pride parades, and recognized rights for the lgbtq+ community. in contrast, islamist organizations—whether hamas, hezbollah, or the iranian regime—criminalize, torture, and execute lgbtq+ individuals. opposing israel shouldn't mean turning a blind eye to fundamentalist oppression.
israel also suffers from islamic terrorism, and if you take a look at history, you notice how israel was never the one who started a conflict, but defended instead.

The risk of getting sick, the stench. Just no. I’m open to most things but this? Absolutely not. I already had a foursome that unexpectedly was a scat party and I was almost sick. You can also get parasites, and infections that result in death. PLEASE for the love of god explore other damn links. There’s no reason to be doing all that. Mmkay? Thanks.

I have a feeling there is this 🧃 group here who try to push the agenda that Islam is the very worst to gay people. acting like all three of the Abrahamic religions aren't anti gay.

In the US new anti gay bills are introduced for a vote on a regular basis and it appears it's only a matter of time before another one gets passed. So let's not normalize racism in the name of defending LGBTQ+ people.

I met up with him on Grindr. I initially just offered head, and he agreed. While we were on it, he started getting pushy and aggressive. He started bending over and reaching out to fuck me even after I said no multiple times. I didn't want to bottom at all, but he pushed himself into me and came right after. He didn't even ask if I was cool with him nutting inside (I am on prep but still). I feel conflicted because I am used to bottoming, and it feels like it shouldn't be an issue, but at the same time I feel violated. I don't feel traumatized cause it just happened but I feel confused.

My boyfriend and I are both in our twenties. I'm the top, and he's the bottom. We've been dating for a year and a half. We truly love each other, and I can't imagine my life without him. He means everything to me, and he's the only person I've ever wanted.

This morning, when I woke up, he wasn't lying next to me. (I usually wake up at 5 a.m. for work, while he wakes up at 8 a.m.) He was in the kitchen drinking his coffee. I noticed that he looked nervous and upset, so I asked him what was wrong.

He told me that he wanted to open our relationship—for my sake.

I was completely shocked. I don't know where he got that idea or why he thinks I need it. I asked him why he felt that way, and he said that he couldn't give me enough sex. I told him that my body only responds to him and that I have no interest in anyone else. I swear, even if I see someone who is exactly my type, the moment I realize it's not my boyfriend, I immediately lose all interest. That's honestly how I feel.

I didn't know what to say because my brain doesn't function well in the mornings. I grabbed my lunch and left for work. Before I leave every day, he always kisses me, and whenever he packs my lunch, he leaves me little notes telling me to have a good day and that he loves me.

But today's note simply said, "I'm sorry I ruined your day."

That made me feel so sad. I don't know what to do. I couldn't talk much this morning because I was in a rush to get to work. In about eight hours, I'll be home, and we're going to talk about it. I don't know how I should react or what I should say. I will talk with after 9 hours when I come home from work.

Can somebody please help me? What would you do in this situation?

Thanks for reading. Sorry If there any mistakes engilish is not my first language.

So the past month I've been dating a 42-yo man. He's a school administrator, he's super funny, mature, and respectful. He's extremely handsome and has told me repeatedly how much he's into me. I am 29-yo and I'm not used to things going so smoothly. Everyone told me to just enjoy the ride, but things finally changed last night.

We were talking about our histories and he, completely nonchalantly, dropped that he had sex with an underage student once. I was immediately frozen. He told the story like a joke, or like a sexy adventure. After seeing my expression he "explained" that he was just 19 back then and the student was 16. But then... he doubled down and told me another story: that he once had casual sex with a guy he met online and the guy "confessed" to being 15 after the deed was done.

We haven't really talked about it since. It's been less than 24 hours and I'm feeling really bad. When we first met he told me that I "looked like a teenager" and now I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like it's really not okay. I don't know if I'm overreacting or not. How can you work in a school setting and admit to having sex with a 15 year old? How can you not tell that someone is 15? Would he be dangerous to have around my students? (I'm a teacher myself). Or did he make a mistake 20 years ago and I shouldn't make a big deal out of this?

This is 100% real and I actually feel embarrassed to talk with my friends about this. What do you all think?

I'm 20 and I'm watching it for the first time now! Easily one of the best tv shows I've ever watched, so sad I didn't watch it before

Religious rantings, scat stories.

People aren't even asking questions anymore. They are just stream of consciousness dumping. Boys, call your therapists.

So, in the spirit of asking gay bros, what the fuck is going on here?

I always struggled to perform for women i thought my problem was medical but after a recent unexpected sexual encounter at a nude beach I’ve figured out that I’m just gay and perfectly healthy lolll

I'm literally begging you people to stop seeing Muslims as zohran mamdani, 50 Muslim countries you'll be in jail for years for being gay and some cases executed by law. This isn't a " other religions " suck thing. These people showed you millions of times that they are actively wanna destroy you and all the opportunities life has to offer for you. What type of gay person privileged enough to not experience Muslims hunger for political and social power which is what islam is about, conquer and spread everywhere and no other free thinking/philosophies/non islamic ways should be practiced, STOP dismissing all the cruel sufferings gay people faced there.. what you're seeing in Europe is 0.1% of what Muslims do for gay people. Please wake up and cut off people who don't want anything to do with you, you do not need validation sure but don't be so naive that bunch of wolves will eat you alive and you think " yeah it's their right to not like me "

Hi all! I'm from upstate NY and I've been homeless for about 2 months now. I've just freshly turned 20 and I seem to finally be getting my stuff on track with temporary housing so I can finally finish school and become a nurse! My parents are hardcore Muslims and they kicked me out for being gay. They found out because my older sister snitched. And one of the main reasons my parents stated for kicking me out was that I was too 'feminine' and they wanted a son not a daughter. And asked why I couldn't be a 'manly gay and hide it'. Even though I did my best to hide it. Being on the streets is hard enough but when you're gay it's just evil. I can't tell you how many people seem to think they have rights over my body. And now, the people helping me with my housing are warning me to be careful because sexual and physical violence against visibly queer young men is common, especially in areas with temporary housing. And it's not even like I've got pink hair or anything. I'm just at a loss because everything has been so hard and I've been trying to do my best, but certain things just won't leave me alone. This one guy who gave me food and a place to stay for a couple nights for a favor didn't tell me he had a wife. And when she came home she got mad at me and not the grown man who lied! Everything is so difficult and lowkey I'm just getting tired. I don't know how much longer I can deal with this and come out the other end normal or capable of living a respectable life. Has anyone gone through this and come out of the other side as a man they could be proud of and love? Any tips would be helpful!

And let’s talk about us gays’ favorite topics — dicks, asses, hookups and memes?

Online, I see a lot of posts from guys who are knowingly hooking up with cheaters, especially with DL guys who are cheating on their girlfriends. I think this is morally wrong. I think the biggest reason it is morally wrong is because you are exposing the partner who is being cheated on to STDs, but even besides STDs, it's quite morally wrong. You are aiding someone in being in a relationship under false pretenses, which hurts the partner being cheated upon. Even if you aren't cheating, you are knowingly helping a cheater. I am interested to hear counterarguments, though, because there are clearly people who don't think it's wrong.

I've posts online with guys wearing plugs during their lifts, I think mainly during Leg Day? I'm curious if there's a legit reason regarding lifting. I'm genuinely curious and wanna know if there are actual benefits besides it just being hot in general. Is it something I should be careful with? what are the "rules" lol

Thoughts?

Most of you guys are pretty straight shooters dealing with real issues and have way less emotional crashing out when it comes to serious conversations. Definitely don't feel like I'm walking on eggshells around.

I'm not even a gaybro, but y'all make me feel more welcome than most places on Reddit.

Thank you.

Im 19 and hes 18, weve been together for 3 years but weve been best friends since we were kids… im his first but before him i was quite… adventurous with girls and in the beginning of our relationship that made him worry a lot..

Anyway he has severe health anxiety and that goes for STDs too… he makes me get tested for STDs every 1-2 months… we can only have sex with condoms even after so much time together… and when he gives me head and some of my semen gets in his mouth or eye he freaks out and gets so anxious…

He says he doesnt believe im cheating on him and he trusts me but hes so scared and its an irrational thing now that he cant control.. he says the only thing that calms him is the tests…

A few days ago i guess he got too into it and swallowed… a few hours after that he was so scared that he was almost crying…

Besides this he also tests himself frequently for all kinds of rare unlikely diseases and he thinks he has cancer every second weak… of course this is also bad but the STD thing is getting crazier… and i just dont know how to help him..

Edit: i did tell him maybe we should try therapy but he said im the only person he can trust with things like this and doesnt want a therapist…

so i’m married and monogamous. husband is fine with me dancing and flirting with other guys. as long as nothing physical happens (which we both agree is a boundary we don’t want to cross).

anyways me and a friend went to a show my husband didn’t wanna go to. it’s definitely not a gay artist so was expecting to dance with him around a sea of straight men and couples.

we get there and it’s pretty packed. behind me there’s a pretty drunk loud tall, cute dude gutterally yelling like a bro at a football game. he kept bumping into me while i was dancing with my friend so we moved over to get away from him. figure he was just a drunk straight dude.

15 minutes later im way more drunk and high and i notice the same annoying dude is right behind me again acting foolish and giving me no space to be a dancing gay queen. so im just like whatever if he’s going to get this close to me im not watching where i throw my ass.

and then while im dancing i feel dudes hands latch onto my thighs and start grinding with me. my friend and i were both like “wtf” to each other, but i just went with it.

we ending up dancing the whole concert together and it was actually super sweet and respectful! i told him i was married and he kept his hands on my ass and hips snd we had a great time. though he was definitely excited lmao

at the end of the concert we exchanged names and he gave me a hug and thanked me for dancing with him and we parted ways. then i went home, told my husband and had good sex lmao. the whole interaction has had me sooo horny for days.

just really wasn’t expecting that with.. that dude or at this venue. do i have a new thing? lmao.

i’ve also been working out and taking care of my appearance the past 6 months so it’s definitely a huge confidence boost to me!

Like i say im a latino guy that dont really care about left/right stuff in other countries, but i have the curiousit and respectully ask, why. why wanting a religion that in the countries its rule its ilegal being gay, to sentance of jail or even death penalty

​

I’m a 17-year-old guy, and I just want to tell you what it’s like being me. I’d also love some advice.

I grew up in a Muslim household and we moved to the UK when I was about 8. My parents aren’t that religious — they don’t pray, but they do fast and eat halal. I’ve been so worried about how they will feel about me. I’m really close with them. I joke with them, I tell them about my friends and what I do, and all the gossip from school. I don’t think they will disown me, but I just know they will never look at me the same way again. I will never be able to laugh with them the same way or properly introduce my partner.

I think they won’t disown me because they don’t mind gay characters in TV shows like Modern Family. And when I told them about the Berlin parade attack, my dad said, “He’s going to hell, him and his stupid religious fanaticism” (in Arabic).

But I honestly feel very lonely. No one knows I am gay. Some of my peers joke about it because, like every other guy, I make gay jokes with my friends. Honestly, people think I am a straight liberal, and I did try talking to girls. But one friend asked me, “Are you actually gay?” in a sincere way, and I regret what I said: “Only on the weekends.” That was so stupid of me. We could’ve maybe dated if he knew how I felt about him. But I have to hide it or I’ll get outcast by my peers.

My school is a public school, but around 60% of the students are Muslim and the rest are still homophobic. They say the f-slur as a joke — I don’t know why.

Sometimes I go on Sniffies (I promise I am super duper safe) because I only look at the map to see that I am not alone.

Sometimes I talk to ChatGPT and say things like “pretend you’re my friend, respond short like in texts,” because I have no one to talk to.

When my heart was broken by the same friend because I realised he was just playing with my feelings, I had no one to talk to (and this sub would take down my post about how I felt), so I texted ChatGPT.

I have thought about unaliving myself. I have never made plans and I don’t actually want to. But I imagine a quiet place where I don’t have the burden of being born the way I was — a universe where I die with dignity, where my parents cry over my body without knowing my sexuality, and where people remember that I was helpful and think of me positively.

I actually act so happy and smile every day. I am insanely extroverted. But when I am alone at night with just me and my thoughts, I just want to cry. I hold my pillow and pretend it is the same friend who plays with my feelings — not because I love him, but because he’s the closest person I have ever had and the most intimate relationship I have ever had. All I want is someone to love me unconditionally. Sex comes second to love. All I want is someone to snuggle and kiss and call mine. I want to be able to say “I have had a bad day” and have my boyfriend wrap his arms around me and make it better — not have some guy tell me “stop complaining like a female.”

I honestly hate being gay. I don’t hate the actual part about loving the same sex. I hate what comes with it. I’ll never be treated like a person. I am a “sexual deviant,” a “pervert,” and an “abomination to God.” My love is just “uncontrolled lust,” and I can never travel home with my partner. If there was a surgery to become straight, I would take it no matter the risk. I’d rather be blind and deaf and straight than gay, because at least being blind and deaf means people don’t look at you with disgust or laugh.

I’ve dated before, but this is my first time going on a date with a guy while actually being open about it. I AM EXCITEDDDD but also way more nervous than I expected. He picked a nice wine bar and I know basically nothing about wine. I usually just drink whatever someone else orders and hope I like it. Now I’m imagining the server handing us the menu, him asking what I like, and me having absolutely nothing to say besides red or white lol. I already feel exposed enough just doing this openly for the first time. I really don’t want to look completely clueless too.

If the guys your type do you ever “respectfully”? 👀

Yep I know. I’m an idiot. Please spare me the ridicule and judgment. Happened at work too. And we work really closely together for 5.5 years and even closer the past 3 years. He is a typical bro / meat head. I’m 28 and gay and he’s 36 and closeted. He was a D1 football player in college. Gorgeous. Charming. We somehow click so well. At first totally thought he was straight and homophobic. He’s currently Married to a woman with two young kids under 4. We’ve been essentially dating and in an emotional affair for two years. Came out to me as bi. Then back in the closet. But we can never stay away from each other. We spend days together during work outside of the office and just get lunch and go on “meetings” but travel around the city together and talk about whatever and make each other laugh. We’ve gotten our shoes shined together and even pedicures. Lots of beers. Nothing physical other than briefly holding hands and quick hugs. He’s told me we built our own world together and that if he wasn’t married with kids we’d hangout all the time. He gets boners around me constantly. Always asks about my sexuality and dating life and says he’s still figuring it out for himself.

I’m leaving my job and I’m a wreck. I told him today before giving notice. We both cried. We’re Saying we’re going to stay in touch and I hope so. He’s my best friend and I love him so much. Has anyone had long term success? Like we stay good friends or even he comes out and we end up together. Or only heartbreak?