Sick!
You may be shocked by this information: 12 out of 15 international studies have found that gay men and lesbians are more likely to smoke than heterosexuals in the same age group. In Australia, 37 percent of us are regular smokers compared to just 24 percent of the general population.
The Private Lives survey on GLBT health concluded that many of us consume alcohol at a level that’s regarded as “risky”. Twenty-one percent of the gay men surveyed in Sydney had used crystal meth in the last six months, and crystal meth use has a strong correlation to unsafe sex.
So why are we making these unhealthy selfdestructive choices? The research all suggests a strong link between drug and alcohol abuse and people who’ve experienced homophobic abuse. You and I may not be abused on a daily basis but, despite incredible gains in community acceptance, gays and lesbians still live in a world that can be hostile. We still feel the sting of casual homophobia. We’re still not able to feel quite as relaxed about ourselves as others; we often perceive that the world is not weighted in our favour and that others enjoy privileges we don’t. Drugs and alcohol can offer an escape. We have a reputation for partying hard – but how much of that is simple hedonism and how much is about living in denial?
If we count the ways our internalised homophobia and low self esteem can manifest physically – overdoing drugs and alcohol, steroid use, eating too much, not eating enough – we’re treating ourselves pretty badly.
As Editor of DNA I’d like to help empower readers with more knowledge and information to help them make better decisions about their health and lifestyle choices. I believe we deserve the best health we can possibly have.
Last month we published the fantastic results achieved by our Make Me Hot challengers. This month I’m pleased to announce that Make Me Hot is now an ongoing, online community via the website (www. dnamakemehot.com) and the Facebook group (DNA Magazine’s Make Me Hot Challenge). Take a look. It’s easier to lose weight, gain muscle or ditch unhealthy habits when you do it with friends. Take a 90-Day Make Me Hot Challenge and enjoy the benefits of the stories and tips we’ll be posting as well as the encouragement you can give and receive other challengers. And, being Facebook, feel free to post pictures of your progress, your hot new abs and your healthy breakfast!
IF WE TOOK A HOLIDAY…
A few months ago on the DNA website we asked readers what their favourite kind of holiday was and overwhelmingly the result was the sun and sea variety. We also asked what the best part of travelling was and the number one answer was “meeting new people and having new experiences” which, hands down, beat five-star holiday stays, food and wine and even holiday sex! With this in mind we sent model Todd Sanfield off to the tropical paradise of the US Virgin Islands for a cover shoot with Kevin McDermott. Jorge Rivas files a sexy beach story from Miami and Xavier Samre shoots two hot Brazilians on location at a gorgeous Rio De Janeiro hotel overlooking Copacabana. Meanwhile, at Carnival, Terry George shoots some of the sexiest and happiest guys in South America. So much to look at!
ELSEWHERE…
Australia is a socially progressive country – so why has the fight for marriage equality stalled? Nicholas Fonseca examines the subtle forces at work preventing true equality.
Jesse Archer looks back to the days of genius Russian composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Do the mysterious circumstances around his death suggest something more sinister than death by cholera? Was there a conspiracy to kill Russia’s best-loved musician because he was gay? And, disturbingly, was Tchaikovsky himself in on the plot? This is a great read with unsettling parallels to modern Russia’s current anti-gay stance. And, while we’re in Russia, please allow us to talk about Johnny Weir’s car-crash marriage breakdown!
Enjoy!