GuySpy

After a day acclimating poolside in Costa Rica, I felt up to an adventure. With my trusty guide, Rob, from Out-Adventures.com, I set out for some high-flying fun in the jungle around Manuel Antonio. Rob happens to be a honey bear. Seriously delicious, seriously furry. He didn’t wear the loin cloth I set out for him, but we still had some serious Tarzan fun!

GuySpy Presents Bump! The Swingin’ Life in Costa Rica!

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Argentina has so many tantalizing treats for your taste buds, and for once I’m not talking about men… although the Argentinians would certainly be well classified as delicioso! While traveling through the beautiful mountain valley of Misiones I sought out the skills of Chef Ivan and asked him to teach me a little about the native Guarani people and their cooking. Was I ever in for a treat!  Chef Ivan has mad skills and is funny to boot.

Follow along and you can compare the size of your mandioca with ours….

GuySpy Presents Bump! Spicy & Raw in Argentina

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Key West has long been a gaycation hotspot offering sun, sand, sport and sex aplenty.  The island is at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys and a strong Cuban influence in food, music, and architecture is evident. At roughly 6.4km long and 3.2km wide the island is easily explored and for the history buff there’s plenty to unearth considering its size with direct links to the Emancipation Proclamation, John Wilkes Booth, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams.  With average year round temperatures in the 20s centigrade it’s easy to see why clothing optional gay resorts started sprouting up and became so popular.

If you’ve never stayed at a men only, clothing optional resort then you’re missing out on an opportunity to soak up the sun and absorb a truly unique vacation. In my experience there’s a generational divide in appreciation for guesthouses like Island House in Key West, Florida. Those mature enough to have danced at a disco often embrace them wholeheartedly and enjoy the lively crowd, uninhibited meetings, and freedom to truly be oneself behind the safety and privacy of a fenced compound. The gay or ‘non-labeled’ man under the age of thirty largely just ‘doesn’t get it’ and often won’t even consider a gay guest house while planning a travel itinerary.  With the advancement of equality has come the opportunity and trend to live a more open, integrated existence within society as a whole. This is not news for those of us living in big cities and witnessing the ongoing disintegration of our gay villages and ghettos.

Ageism is not a new phenomenon within our community and pretty young chickens sometimes fear grappling with the unwanted advances of aging wolves. Conversely older gay men may feel unwelcome at a gay event or out of the loop on how to relate to the new Florence & The Machine album. As I negotiate with my own silvering temples it’s appropriate to reflect on one of the tent poles of gay vacationing and how to navigate its future.

While visiting Island House, which has been touted as one of the best gay resorts in the world, I was pleasantly surprised to see a spectrum of ages in the clientele. There were young and hung hanging out by the pool, with mustaches and muscles lounging on the sun deck, displaying brains and brawn through erudite placement of open book resting on one thigh and hefty cock on the other.  There were singles in the sauna, threesomes lending helping hands in the gym and a party atmosphere every afternoon for cocktails, which would spill out into an evening exploration of the clubs of Duval Street. I met guests who return a few times a year and after experiencing the friendly, laid back and resourceful staff I can understand why.  My rooms were playful and tasteful in design, the menu was well-planned and delivered and there was no shortage of conversation or potential encounters.

I’d like to invite those of you who have not explored a gay resort like Island House to check your preconceived notions with your luggage and give it a whirl. It’s a piece of our history worth cultivating and sharing. After all where else can you proudly pursue your every naked ambition?

Sexual orientation may have become irrelevant in Key West, as gays and lesbians are valued contributors throughout the community, passionately applying their talents in a host of professions and activities. For decades they have been “openly” contributing as elected leaders, citizen volunteers on government boards, commissions and committees, business owners, law enforcement officials, doctors, nurses, lawyers, journalists, architects, educators, nonprofit board members and directors, performers in arts and cultural activities, philanthropists, parents, grandparents and neighbours – you name it – a true part of the fabric of the community. The social scene in Key West offers a blend of straight and gay entertainment, and lines blur easily as straight, gay and lesbian residents are entwined in the same social circles.

 Key West has embraced this diversity with the city’s motto “One Human Family.” While true to this spirit, Island House is decidedly “Men Only” and offers a private clubhouse where boys can be boys.

Travel Guyd: Naked Ambition at Island House Key West

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My cousin Drew joined me for a fun weekend in 1,000 Islands. Things got heated when he said the locals were getting scared because of repeated bear sightings… he was talking about me. I decided we could settle the score with some overalls and paint. Little did I know how much pain those little paint balls could inflict at close range.

GuySpy Presents Bump! Family Feud

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I’m a Stripper premieres Tues., April 9th at 10pm/9pm Central on LOGO (USA) & Friday, April 12th at 10:30pm on OutTV (Canada)

I like to make films about sexuality, how we as a society embrace or are repulsed by it, what some see as artistic expression and others view as pornography, and where the seeds for these often very visceral reactions begin.

I’m a Stripper is entertainment, but it also delves into a provocative new era of sexual liberation and expression. Living in a post-Feminist era we are now bombarded with the male form undressed for pleasure, for provocation, and as a catalyst in advertising and media. I wanted to explore the questions of: 1) Are we reaching equalization in the exploitation of the sexes?  And 2) How are young men being conditioned to perceive their own bodies, their constructs of masculinity, and the disintegration of labels around sexuality?

“Boys will be boys,” as the saying goes, and we were invited onto a pleasure island while filming I’m a Stripper.  As a young twenty-something, I witnessed several handsome friends suddenly working in the adult entertainment industry, either as strippers or in video. I always wondered how much was enough for them to say yes to that world and the lifestyle that went with it. To what extent will a young person push their body, their will, or their sexual preference in order to grab some quick cash? The answer, of course, is not easy, and each subject we worked with presented their own set of motivations – everything from lust for dollars, an addiction to attention, or simply loving to dance!

Directing this documentary was such an adventure because I was able to immerse myself outside my comfort zone, grow, and be challenged by the experience. There were many times while interviewing when I had to keep my fist planted firmly under my jaw so it wouldn’t fall to the floor.  These guys are shocking, competitive, profane, yet endearing.  Like moss, their charm will grow on you as it feeds from you. So keep some dollar bills nearby.

Don’t have LOGO or OutTV? No problem – watch it here now:

Bump! Guyd: “I’m a Stripper” Premieres This Week

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On my Bump! adventures I’ve had to put some fairly questionable things in my mouth. But today we’re going to talk about food.

Grasshopper tortillas in Mexico City, alligator salad while on safari in South Africa, things that looked like worms in blood that no server could (or would) identify for me in Japan. These have been some of the lowlights of the job. I’m usually a pretty good sport about trying new things, so when offered to try “stinky tofu” while in Taipei, Taiwan, I thought, “Sure, how bad can it be?”

The name kinda says it all, but if you want the scratch and sniff version come on our food adventure in the Shi Lin Night Market!

GuySpy Presents Bump! Stinky Tofu

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There are two things I said I would NEVER do on Bump! – Skydive and karaoke… well, since it was the end of the season I decided I’d let them twist my arm. Warning: You may want to press mute!

Navigating your way through foreign language and culture can be a daunting task.  On my trips to Asia I’ve always used, and highly recommend, the gay-owned and operated Magnet Tours.

http://www.magnettours.jp/

GuySpy Presents Bump! Kagoshima Karaoke

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The Luber is a drink – maybe it was only popular in Saskatchewan where I grew up but it sure is tasty on a Spring day after a round of golf, watching a ball game or sitting on a patio. As we edge out of winter, soon we’ll leave the comfort of scrolling endlessly through Netflix on the couch and onto gayborhood patios to cruise. If you’re looking for a zesty new drink for your patio prowl – try a Luber.

My cousin Drew joined me in beautiful 1000 Islands for a weekend of biking, hiking, golf, kayaking and paint ball – but we made sure to stop and drink a Luber or two along the way. Get the recipe and make one yourself at the end of the video!

GuySpy presents ‘How to make a Luber’

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Did I ever feel like a rock star… Okay, more like a Broadway Star, when I received a private tour backstage and in the dressing rooms of the cast of Avenue Q right before showtime. I happened to catch Lucy the Slut in a towel. Who knew stuffed felt could make me blush!?

Avenue Q is “part flesh, part felt and packed with heart,” and winner of of the Tony “Triple Crown” for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book.  If you’re looking for some good belly laughs or a place to take an uptight date, jump on a train to visit Avenue Q.

GuySpy Presents Bump! Backstage at “Avenue Q”

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With Valentine’s Day over we can all get back to what we should be doing; eating chocolate and hiding in over-size sweaters during these bearish winter months.

While in NYC I stumbled like a deer in headlights into the beloved tourist trap known as the Hersey Store and decided to film a segment on waxy chocolate. Yup, I said it. And yup, in the middle of Manhattan with so many fantastic options at my fingertips, I chose chocolate – and did this… But really, why not just go balls to the wall if you’re gonna be a goof, right?

GuySpy Presents Bump! “Charlie in His Chocolate Factory”