Maleforce

Safer sex campaigners have long held the view that the promotion of videos featuring unsafe sex is encouraging risky sexual behaviour amongst gay men and hindering the fight against HIV.

The argument over whether gay 'bareback' porn - adult movies in which performers have full sex without using condoms - normalises and legitimises unsafe sex, and thus contributes to the spread of HIV, has split opinion within the gay community and adult porn industry.

Opposing an outright ban, many believe it is the high profile marketing of bareback DVDs fuelling the rise in its popularity and sending out the message that unsafe sex is OK.

Last month the UK's Public Health Minister, Anne Milton, echoed this sentiment by raising the issue during a debate on HIV at Westminster Hall in London. The MP said she felt that there is a need to ensure that safer sex messages be clearly communicated and understood by all.

The Hansard report quotes Milton as saying: "I think that we also have to clamp down a bit on irresponsible marketing. I have been approached by those who are unhappy about the promotion of DVDs and other material promoting 'bareback' sex.

"We need to address such issues and I know that a lot of people and organizations, such as the Terrence Higgins Trust, are doing all they can to stop the promotion of such material.

To those who are most at risk of HIV, I say that the Government work very closely in partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust, the African Health Network and a huge number of other voluntary and community groups"

Safer sex campaigners welcomed Milton's comments, along with members of the adult entertainment industry who believe the use of condoms should be made mandatory in porn films.

In a recent interview with UK gay weekly 'Boyz', Ian Powell, a porn director who releases condom-only content said: "I think it's very good Anne Milton has said something about it. Usually the government is too embarrassed to deal with these issues.

"Ministers should engage with people in the industry about the subject. It needs to be fully debated and the government needs to engage with the health charities and the porn industry to be part of the debate. These issues need to be taken seriously"

With sales of DVDs featuring bareback sex outselling condom-only content the issue isn't going away. Maleforce agrees that the number one priority is your health and wellbeing. No matter what, always keep your gay chat and gay apps activities safe.

Play safe, stay safe!

Gary C. from The Gay Chat Team

If the Xmas food fest has left you feeling like an over stuffed turkey, you're not alone! Come January most of us are thinking about detox diets and making a beeline for the nearest gym. If you're currently feeling like a bloated Mr. Blobby here are some terrific tips to help get your gay chat stats back on track!

Turn that fat to fuel

Actually, it isn't so bad that you packed a little padding over the festive period. Fat, in fact, provides the energy we need for exercise. It also provides a cushion and insulation for your inner organs and helps distribute vitamins A, D, E and K through the body (yes, really). Fat builds up when we consume more calories than we use (ala scoffing and lying around on the sofa all Xmas!). So what are you waiting for? Get to the gym! You have all the fuel you need to turn your flab into fab!

Pump up the volume

Music is a great motivator. Studies show that working out to uptempo rhythms can boost performances in the gym considerably. Duffy's "Mercy" clocks in to the ideal tempo bracket in which to work out: 120 - 150 bpm (beats per minute). Got a smartphone, iPod or MP3 player? Then why not download some high-energy-work-out toons to help you zap the fat? Top tracks for the treadmill include Don't Stop The Music by Rhiana (122 bpm), Just Dance by Lady GaGa (119 bpm), and our personal favourite, Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas (130 bpm).

Detox your diet

Ok. Enough's enough... step away from the Xmas chocolate box, it's time to detox! We all know that healthy eating and working out works wonders on the waistline. Cut down, or even better, cut out alcohol, caffeine and processed foods from your diet. Add plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Yeah, you've heard all that before, but it works! It'll help get you back to buff in no time!

Make it personal

Personal trainers are no longer exclusive to celebs and super models. If you need a nudge, just one session with a certified fitness coach could put you back on track and improve your gym technique. Being results focused, Personal Trainers will encourage you to work out efficiently, achieving maximum results in minimum time. They'll also kick your ass (if need be) around a circuit. Helpful.

Book a break

If there's one thing that'll get you back to the gym and keep you there, it's a summer holiday. There are some great New Year deals out there. So what better incentive to bring sexy back? Try on last year's Aussie Bums, stand in front of the mirror and take a long look at yourself. It maybe all the motivation you need to jump on the treadmill and get that tush back to toned, taut and tasty!

Oh, and don't forget the Maleforce gay apps works everywhere... why not check in to your local gym?... you just mind find yourself a hot new work out buddy!

Gary C. from The Gay Chat Team

Is it just us, or is Ricky Martin looking even hotter since he came out? This month's Attitude magazine features an in depth interview with the Latino dynamo; buffed, bearded and blowing the hinges off the closet that constrained him for so long.

For most of us, Martin's announcement that he was gay way back in March came as no surprise. Rumours had been circling for years that the 38-year-old superstar preferred livin' la vida loca with the lads rather than the ladies. Sorry girls!

His gay disclosure sent a shockwave through Latin America however: He is the only Latino pop star to have ever come out. And as far as Latino pop stars go you don't get much bigger - he was performing to 200,000 capacity crowds at age 15 as part of Latin boy band Menudo - long before his worldwide success as a solo artist.

His mega selling memoir "Me" was published last November and next month he releases a new album 'Musica Alma Sexo' - we're not sure what that translates to, but it sounds delicious!

Coming out to the entire world wasn't easy for our Ricky, obviously. In his most compelling interview since that announcement he explains why it took him so long and the incredible reaction he's received since becoming open and honest about his sexuality.

So what kind of man turns on one of the hottest turn-ons in the world?

"I love witty. I love mental strength. Just being secure. With all the stuff I come with, you have to be someone who is sure of himself. That turns me on. Somebody who is very open-minded about things. That's what I love. Adventurous is the word"

...erm, judging by those stunning beach pics of Martin and his current partner we've all downloaded we assume he also likes his men built like an Adonis with a packet to match!

On a serious note, coming out can be an ordeal and we love Ricky for being open, honest and, frankly, utterly edible. But hey, if you're not ready to shout it out loud you can always dial Maleforce gay chat to connect safely and discreetly with other gay men.

The January edition of Attitude is out now.

Gary C. from The Gay Chat Team

Now that Santa Claus has been and gone and he forgot, yet again, to deliver Jake Gyllenhaal buck naked on a bearskin rug, we'll just have to file that particular fantasy under 'unfulfilled' for now (ahem). Instead, we're more than happy to make do with "Love And Other Drugs" - a sure-fire contender for this year's essential rom-com, starring the gorgeous Jake and the equally gorgeous (for a girl) Anne Hathaway.

As far as rom-coms go this one is pretty hot... Sort of akin to your wildest, gay chat fantasy... Imagine Jake Gyllenhaal, cocksure and hell-bent on tearing your clothes off at every opportunity, whilst professing his undying love forever and ever. Hmmm, we could think of far worse ways to spend New Year's Eve.

Based on the non-fiction book "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman", Love And Other Drugs is set in the ethically questionable world of mid 90s pharmaceutical sales. Gyllenhaal plays Jamie Reidy, a bed-hopping med school drop out who embarks on a career pharma pushing, eventually landing his big one (boom boom!), hard-selling Viagra to the medical community.

This is no laugh-a-minute carry on, however. Along the way Jamie meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway) an early onset Parkinson's patient and the first girl ever to spurn his advances (not for long though). The film jerks between comedy and drama as Hathaway's character deals with her depreciating health while Gyllenhaal's character deals with falling head over heels in love for the very first time. Can Maggie accept that someone can love her despite her condition? Does Jamie have the strength to commit to a woman with an uncertain future? Will they or won't they end up together?

We're not going to spoil it for you except to say: bring a box of tissues.

Love And Other Drugs is out everywhere now.

Gary C. from The Gay Chat Team

It's Chrisssssstmas! Time to deck the halls and be all jolly, right? Well not if you're British electropop duo Hurts - all they want for Xmas is New Year's Day. We'd shout "Bah Humbug!" if it weren't for the fact that their similarly titled Xmas single, a lament to Yuletide blues, wasn't so annoyingly magnificent. Oh, and they aren't bad on the eye either!

If you like your pop cinematic, synth-laden and sexy then you could do a lot worse than Hurts. Hailing from Manchester, U.K. Adam Anderson, 26 (music) and Theo Hutchcraft, 24 (vocals) released their debut single, "Better Than Love" earlier this year. Three singles and one album later, this handsome twosome have positioned themselves as the next big thing in British pop.

A UK support slot with gay faves, The Scissor Sisters and a duet with Kylie, "Devotion" on the recently released album "Happiness" (Minogue has also covered their second, and to date most successful, single "Wonderful Life") plus a flurry of stunning press shots have put Hurts firmly on the gay radar.

With a massive European tour planned for early next year followed by a possible (as yet unconfirmed) collaboration with Leona Lewis you'll no doubt be hearing and seeing a lot more of Hurts in 2011.

"All I Want For Christmas Is New Year's Day" is available now as an iTunes-only download. We can only hope that Hurts somehow manage to enjoy themselves this Saturday. Awww... and the nice thing is, they'll get their Christmas wish... ooh, in about a week's time!

Joking aside, we'd like to take this opportunity to wish you (and Hurts) a very Merry Xmas. Hey and don't forget, gay chat and gay apps aren't just for Christmas! We're here 365 days a year bringing joy to the gay world. We never close! So if you you're looking for some festive fun why not download Maleforce Mobile and find guys around you... who knows, you might pull a Christmas cracker!

Happy Holidays!

Gary C. from The Gay Chat Team