My brother-in-law's family of origin is two gay men -- my husband and I -- or at least that's how he portrayed us at his wedding.

Over the course of our 13 years together, my husband and I have often found ourselves the novelty "wild card" at weddings (including...

A guy walks into a therapist's office -- sadly, this is no joke -- and says, "I just read a piece in The New York Times, and I've got some questions: What do you know about my condition? What's your success rate with people like me? When will I get...

Several videos from the ubiquitous "It Gets Better" project feature famous, "top" gays guaranteeing that a better life awaits all L's, G's, B's and T's if we hold our heads high. Pop star Adam Lambert advises not to give bullies "the power to affect you, [because]...

Face it, midwinter is not your finest hour. Many of us are putting off our vows and ambitions for the new year. Some of us are unhappy with our bodies (holiday overeating, relentless blizzards and flus limiting effective gym time), and some just burying our heads like ostriches in order...

For many, Valentine's Day is the time to indulge in romantic delights, typically of the instantly-gratifying but not-so-long-lasting variety. This is all very well when your love's fire is newly kindled, but several years in, the chocolates, bubbles and baubles may be inadequate fuel. This Feb. 14, I recommend sharing...

Brendan Ayanbadejo holds rank as LGBT hero-of the-moment. His post-Super Bowl, interview with CNN's Don Lemon showcased his well informed, well-spoken, worldliness, as he declared equality for all, regardless of sexuality or gender expression. Ayanbadejo's advocacy touches down with more impact than many advocates who are gay...

Who creates a massacre? Can we identify that person? Can they be stopped? Congress hopes to answer these questions by the end of February. But where will these answers come from?

Enter The Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Prevention and Children's Safety, the Connecticut legislators who will draft a...

WARNING: This post contains sexually explicit language. Please read on at your own discretion.

Anal is the most intimate sex we have as gay men, yet most of us rarely ever talk about it. So here's my attempt to crack open a discussion. Why go there? Without consulting each other...

Jodie Foster's reality show "would be so boring," she told the world at Sunday night's Golden Globes, where she was awarded for a lifetime in front of the camera. Foster's speech was hotter and colder than a Katy Perry song. Wearing a "coming-out gown," she seemed to reluctantly...

I like to play a little game called "Realism or Racism." Here's how it works: Whenever you see a movie, TV show or play, ask yourself, "Are the actors all white due to realism (i.e., casting a non-white actor would seriously confuse the story), or racism (i.e., the producers have...

"Alms for Scrooge!"

I recently heard a man squelch this at someone asking for change on a New York City street. I cringed, at once identifying with the self-named "Scrooge" and also repelled by him. It struck me how often we are selfish (and even cruel) when our intention is...

The Scandinavian Yule Goat symbolizes the relationship between sacrifice and celebration during the holidays. It refers to the Nordic God Thor's slaughtering of goats for an end-of-year feast (he would resurrect them the next day). We may need to sacrifice a goat of our own to get through the family...

As much as we want (or feel obligated) to visit our "folks" at the holidays, many of us are weighed down with family drama. Shackled by the fear of unresolved conflicts getting triggered, old wounds being torn open, and multiple miscommunications devolving into emotional chaos, we often enter the season...

Obama's reelection symbolizes the end of "Traditional America", says Bill O'Reilly, begrudgingly; and he's right, but we shouldn't be crying about it.

The 1950s-style portrait of a white, able-bodied, lucrative, masculine, man, contentedly married to a white, able-bodied, happily-homemaking, model-like wife, raising their biological,...

... and I don't mean the sultry, breathy, whiskey-and-cigs, sex-goddess reverberations that generated seismic body heat, romanced the stone and enamored Roger Rabbit (and the whole universe) in the '80s. (Though I'm sure that sound -- which is still intact, enhanced by a gravelly wisdom -- has vitalized many). Rather,...

I'm on the beach, trying to relax... and brainstorm for this article. As a psychotherapist, my clients frequently ask me for tips on how to achieve a state of calm. Now's my chance to capture something crucial about this inexplicable process (and to reduce my own anxiety the next time...

Dear Mr. Stein,

Many thanks to you, sir, for your considered thoughts on gender correctness in last week's New York Times' refreshingly forward-thinking Room for Debate special, "Are Modern Men Manly Enough?" Your segment, "Rediscover Your Inner Don Draper," is inspiring. It's an exhilarating relief to know that...

Marriage equality is a percolating reality in the United States, and "the same-sex people" aren't the only ones benefiting from it. Along with the president's recent, long-awaited endorsement and state laws trending in this direction, wedding customs are also evolving across the board.

Marriage ceremonies (even religious ones) are becoming...

"If they smell gay on you, it's over!"

This was stingingly declared by my friend, a prominent casting director. She referred to the flat rejection actors face at auditions when they "seem gay," whether the part is gay or straight, large or small, no matter how right they might otherwise...

Over the past two years, a national conversation has developed around bullying. A critical aspect of this conversation is the growing perception of bullying as a real and dangerous threat, as opposed to a normal phase of youth development. At the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention last March, President...