I had a lot of fun doing bear drag. I had my reservations, some of which were probably rooted in the self-conscious thing that some gay men have around doing drag: it’s something that we’re stereotypically associated with and homophobic insults thrown at you are often rooted in deriding your manhood. Continue reading »
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Why appeasing homophobes is a dumb idea
Appeasing homophobes will not help reduce anti-gay abuse. You’ll end up with more of the same. Here’s why. Continue reading »
Obesity and mental illness
There is a link between obesity and mental health, studies have shown. Eating healthy is already constant struggle in our modern, busy world, where we have such easy access to comfort foods – sugar and caffeine-infused drinks, cheeseburgers, boxes of fried chicken…what to do? Continue reading »
On being abused by Nigel Latta fans
When I appeared in the Herald on Sunday because of my blog on Nigel Latta, this space was filled with abusive comments within minutes. Many had clearly not read what I’d written, or watched the broadcast in question. One even tried to claim that mental illness itself was an invention of “political correctness” and my bipolar disorder was a mythical construct. Continue reading »
Are you embarrassed by gay pride?
Some gay people want nothing to do with gay pride. They just want to be one of the crowd, to blend in. They don’t want the attention of being thought of as ‘special’. Here’s why that thinking is flawed. Continue reading »
Finding your off switch: how to cope with manic episodes
Everyone wishes they had an off switch for manic episodes in bipolar – here’s how to find yours. Continue reading »
Learn mindfulness in a stressful crowd
I hate crowds, but somehow I ended up in the middle of one at Auckland’s Lantern Festival. How did I survive without panicking? By trying a little bit of mindfulness. Here’s how I did it. Continue reading »
Nigel Latta is one of them
Nigel Latta is a clinical psychologist. His presentation style is more like the try-hard stand-up comedian we’re used to seeing on open mic nights. He doesn’t aim to inform, he aims to get a laugh out of his mainstream audience. Continue reading »
anxiety / depression / employment / self-stigma / wellbeing
How I learned to beat the Monday blues
Like Garfield, I used to dread Mondays. The dread began with Sunday anxiety – sometimes that whole second day of the weekend would be laden with gloom in thinking about the horrors that lie in the week ahead. Here’s how I learned to love them. Continue reading »
discrimination / gay / mental illness / music / self-stigma
The Lady Gaga Guide to Gay Rights
WARNING: The following post contains paragraphs in which a gay man talks about both Lady Gaga *and* Madonna. In one of the most hyped single releases of 2011 to date, one of the world’s most famous pop stars, Lady Gaga, declared that she was “Born This Way”, and that we should all celebrate what and … Continue reading »
