While some fag rag’s celebrate pride with a party guide, booze cruise or advice on how to neatly fit that rainbow flag up your ass, New York’s Next‘s looking to change the game a bit. Or, rather, a lot.
Since taking over last year, EIC Justin Ocean‘s been striving for a new image. Gone are the drunken slags, meth mad drag queens and horrible faggot messes. In are the thoughtful, motivated and – most importantly – diverse melange of ‘mos.
The Nexter’s know the gay times are a changin’. That’s why their pride issue’s dedicated to the changing face of gay New York. Or, as they say, New Gay York:
“LGBT” might be a convenient moniker, but it doesn’t begin to describe our complexities. Even among gay men, stereotypes such as twink, bear, hipster, Chelsea boy, homothug and theater queen increasingly don’t apply.
The 2007 gay landscape is dispersed and diverse. Jocks aren’t just something gay men fetishize, it’s something they are. Gender play isn’t just performance, it’s fab way of life. Masculinity isn’t just a butch facade. Sexuality (and it’s kinks) can be celebrated- with family. Porn stars can become pop stars. Social life can be brokered online. Activism takes all forms. We’re everywhere. We’re everything. This is New Gay York.
The homo-journos then feature a twelve-page selection of the Big Apple’s proud – but not rainbow waving – gays. While the issue’s definitely looking good, we do think it’s a bit queer that no women reside in this so-called “New Gay York”. Don’t want to get too diverse, we suppose.
We won’t give away all of Next‘s surprises, but we’ve gone ahead and included our favorite of their queer collage: 39-year old Rick Weber and his family.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
In addition to being a redhead, the Mr. Eagle New York, 2007, Weber’s also a proud papa, an activist and a systems specialist for a law firm, whatever that means. Here’s a little snippet from his interview.
Next: What are you most proud of?
Weber: Raising two great kids to have open minds and watching them pass the openness along to their friends. Also, placing fifth out of 52 contestants at the International Mr. Leather competition and having [my lover] Peter, Jeannie (my ex-wife and best-friend) and the kids cheering for me the whole time.
Do you guys think Rick’s son, Sean, brings that Mr. Eagle championship belt to show and tell? If so, what do you think he tells?
WWH
It’s so true. Especially with the young ones, you just can’t tell who’s gay anymore. Kinda nice, actually.
Ash
Fuck this New Gay York because I’m apparently not a part of it. I live in Brooklyn, go to college in Manhattan, and fuck girls in every borough (well…not Staten Island, but it doesn’t count). I get really tired of “gay” only meaning men, which seems to be happening more and more frequently. Even magazines that purport themselves to be LGBT, like “The Advocate,” focus mainly on gay men. Well fuck that, once and for all. I’M here too, I’M queer too, so FUCK YOU.
Let’s have another lesbian morning goods.
Bryan
I agree. It’s about time we recognize more than just the G in LGBTQ.
Woof
And they wonder where they get the term angry lesbians…sheesh
fanboy69
Why hasn’t Justin Ocean profiled any cubs? I am even more surprised since his so-called side-kick is a cub in training!
Gregoire
Um, Next Magazine is a gay magazine FOR MEN. Why would it features a bunch of lesbians? Criticize magazine like The Advocate if you must – they do purport to represent the entire community – but I dont think Next or HX have ever pretended to be anything than trash rags for an inclusively male community. HX tried and failed to branch out with HX For Her. Both I think still run a listings page. But they are not magazines designed for the lesbian community.
nycstudman
Hey Ash, listen bitch, I’m sick and tired of Go editing out the men in the photos and all of the articles being about women. I’m here too and I want some goddam visiblity. That fucking magazine had better start covering Alegria parties and Splash or I’m picketing!
See how ridiculuos it sounds? You can go back to Brooklyn now.
Paul Raposo
Geez. I guess there are no ugly gay people in New York. At least not physically.
Ignore the haters, Ash.
BillieXX
Wow. So a woman asks for a little visibility and everyone goes postal. Always good to see that type of support from “the community.”
Mr. B
Ash: Keep on keepin’ on. You go, girl.
Paul and Billie: Spot on. It never fails to amaze me how much people in the “visible majority” (white folks, gay (white) men, etc.) get their backs up when someone dares to call them out on it.
Ash
Yeah, call me a bitch, nycstudman, it’s mature and not at all degrading to me or to women. It’s just like if I called you a stupid faggot, I’m sure you would love it. “Angry lesbian” is another especially offensive term: I’m angry because my demographic isn’t represented while gay MEN are. No one gets mad at angry gay men who want to be represented. Next may be marketed to male ‘mos, but to release a whole Pride issue all about “gay” New York is offensive and ignorant. Even the boy-boggled Queerty boys pointed it out. Gay includes me, too. But judging from some of these comments, a lot of gay guys want to keep women in their place.
poodle
ughh maybe if lesbians did more than buy only one ford f150 then advertiseres would appeal to their ways.
lets face it the gay men have more money to spend and advertisements luv it.
holla!
Qjersey
Instead of bitching about gay men why don’t lesbians bitch each other out for not supporting the Lesbian Community? Gay men aren’t responsible for the lack of lesbians bars, magazines, etc., etc.,
Its also really tiring to constantly hear people bitch about not feeling ‘included’ or ‘wanted’. Its so infantile. If I avoided every situation in which I felt not included or wanted…I’d probably never have a reason to leave the house.
nycstudman
Ash, when “I” called you a “bitch,” it wasn’t “me,” it was a “me” who was supposed to be the hater YOU were being. Instead of going on about that, why don’t you address my point: that women have at least one magazine comparable to Next called Go, which POINTEDLY EXCLUDES ALL MEN FROM ITS PAGES. Next, on the otther hand, is very inclusive of women (I believe that’s a biological girl next to her daddy in the photo above) and, in fact, loves its women. I would say that, if anything, it’s the lesbians in this town who are the haters, judging from their media.
And no, of course I don’t really believe that! But you get the point. Or, more likely, not.
tbl41
Oh please, NEXT being conscientious? Its a sleazy rag, run by sleazy people. Leather men are hot but does it bother anyone else that NEXT and the leather dads are including children in their celebration of a sexual fetish? Eeeew!
robert
zing.
Paul Raposo
“but does it bother anyone else that NEXT and the leather dads are including children in their celebration of a sexual fetish?”
Yeah, I gotta agree with that. Most parents include their kids in their hobbies, but leather is a bit of a personal thing to bring your kids into.
MidTownSuperHot
Queerty seems to miss that Justin Ocean is riding along on the coattails of Next’s creative director – Topher Ellsworth. What would be (perhaps) somewhat interesting editorial copy is most interesting and eye catching because of Topher’s incredible design skills. (Remember, Next’s much raved about new look has nothing to do with Ocean and everything to do with Ellsworth.) With the Gay Pride layout, Topher shows he has the chops to be ranked with NYC’s top designers. While Ocean may be the public face of Next snorting coke off your coffee table, Ellsworth is the muscle that keeps people picking this magazine up from the rack.
The omission of women in the issue is likely an unintentional error created by Justin’s lack of editorial experience (he is in his early 20s). I suspect the beating he’ll take for this will help prevent him from making similar mistakes in the future. Of course, if Justin were being really fair, he’d have to have twenty pages to include women, transgendered, transexual, questioning, bisexual, dogsexual, polygamous and twelve other sexual subgroups you’ll find marching in this parade. (A parade which includes another creative brainchild of Topher Ellsworth – the Next float….)
tbl41
I wonder if Ellsworth would be so good at his craft if he hadn’t worked at HX first. Queerty is always posting about how ruthless HX is but seems HX produces much better quality than NEXT, in editorial and visual.
Ash
To clarify, I understand that Next is for gay men. What’s offensive is that in their eyes “New Gay York” only includes men. I understand now that you didn’t call me a bitch, nycstudman, I did understand the first time that you were writing sarcastically. I still don’t understand why we can’t listen to and support each other by engaging in a smart, thoughtful debate. Instead, most people are attacking others and it’s pretty depresssing. It’s almost funny how quickly we make judgments about commenters we will never actually know. But, hey, at least this random babydyke college student got served: “But you get the point. Or, more likely, not.” Ouch!
alphabeta
bitch bitch bitch. This is why gay people, including lesbians, aren’t progrssing as much and as fast as any of the other groups trying to acheive civil rights equality. Becuase they always too busy cutting down EACH OTHER with thier pointless banter and useless condescending attitudes. To the person sho said “what have lesbians done for the community”.. well I have news for you, Lesbians do a hell of a lot more than the rest of all the faggats in this city that’s for sure. They do alot more organizing, activism, and lobbying… and i’m a gay dude, so its not like i’m even sticking out for them out of self interest. Gay men also happen to be some of the most RACIST, BIGOTTED, and PREDJUDICED people in this WORLD so its a bit hypocrytical across the board honestly. Personally I’m glad there still isn’t a federal Law to make gay marragies legal yet… hopefully it’s a issue that will really remind gay peoplein general how fucked up it is to be predjudiced in the first palce, and maybe the new generataion will learn how to be more tolrant, especailly of women, other ethnicities, transgendereds, and people of lower financial stature. And no matter who’s writing or designing all of the fag rags… HX, NExt, Genre, instinct, WHATECER, youy don’t need to be a editorial genius or a brilliant designer becaues all those magazines are about B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T. anyway. When was the last time an article about how a gay person is making strides in the battle for equity or aids research or just diminishing the stereotypes every written. All of those magazine are party fluff and celebrity gossip and gratuetous pitures of musclar white men, with a hand full of minorities thrown in for the sake of being politically correct. So if any one is relying on a stupid magazine to “represent” them socially then all i have to say is you should probably spend a little more time OUT in society to begin with.
Alexa
Nice, poodle, let’s stereotype everyone while we’re at it. I’ll put my Mercedes up against whatever piece of shit car you drive any day.
hisurfer
so, alphabeta, you say we don’t make progress because we are too buys cutting each other down, then spend a couple dozen lines insulting everyone. By your own logic this seems to make you part of the problem.
nycstudman
nice response, ash, I’m willing to bury the hatchet. Let’s agree to disagree:
* You think Next is emblematic of the male hegemony that rules the culture at large and the gay world as part of its world domination, to the oppression of women and the destrcution of the planet.
* I think Next is sui generis, a bar rag for guys (and the gals who loe them) who want to go out, get fucked up and get laid, and that the ladies have their own exclusivity as exemplified in Go magazine.
onward and upward!
taj
i have to agree with ya alphabeta
all these mags are BULLSHIT.
around just to sell mercedes/LVMH/prada
crap insecure people need to associate themselves
with.
oh i work in publishing.
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woodibmapple
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sunletterman
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glasskeyelep
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