Are The Gay Media Talking About Stuff We Really Care About?

Listen, l comb our South Florida weekly gay newspapers religiously for inspiration for my blogs, and l understand that as serious, insightful publications, their job and the job of their peer pubs throughout the country is to report what’s going out right now in our subculture. (In contrast to the glossy rags which are one extended bar ad.) But are the subjects the quality pubs go on and on about really relevant to the majority of gay men and women?

Stories on challenges facing transgenders, Caitlin Jenner’s latest publicity ploy, which clerk in which state is refusing to issue marriage licenses, gay parenting issues, what porn star was found dead… You get the drift. I mean, do the vast majority of gays who will never get married, adopt kids or consider gender reassignment, really really give a shit about any of this??

If you gotta report the latest news flash, fine. But how some regular, informative stuff on subjects facing a lot of us? (True, the pubs touch on some of this, but not nearly enough.) Stuff like:

Workplace discrimination and how to avoid it

Going it solo in this life

Being solo after x years when a partner is no longer in your life by choice or default or death

Finding guys and gals with substance not just quick rolls in the hay in this age of the web

If your partner’s a jock and you’re not

Dealing with age differences between you and him

Navigating through a subculture that puts over-emphasis on physicality and youth when your looks and youth are fading or gone or you got the wrong set of genes

Dealing with the challenges of looking too good

Dealing with the STD crisis in our community that thinks popping a pill solves everything

Making quality friends not just virtual ones

Dealing with the challenges of feeling isolated and alone whether you live in a gay ghetto or the boonies

Grappling with a buddy or lover you sense or know is unstable or an addict

Wouldn’t you wanna hear more about stuff like that than whether Cait, who is worth one hundred million dollars as a result of the endorsements when she was the Olympic gold medalist Bruce, and who once heterosexual and still interested in women, may now lead her new life as a lesbian??

I’ll wait for the Hollywood biopic, thank you.