I somehow overlooked the fact that Season 2 of this rockumentary-style show made its return in 2021, and I’ve just now gotten around to checking it out. I remember enjoying the brief 10-minute skits featuring doctors tackling STIs at a Melbourne sexual health clinic, effectively educating the public while keeping things light. It's quite a challenge to make such a serious topic both funny and informative. Season 2 picks up right where it left off, offering 6 episodes that run about 25 to 30 minutes each. This time, rather than zeroing in solely on STIs, the focus shifts to the characters themselves—their growth, insecurities, and personal lives—while still addressing their patients' sexual health and awareness. In short, sexual health doctors Langdon Marsh and Steph Huddleston are on a mission to prove their worth and save their clinic amid a sudden outbreak of STIs in Melbourne. “Metro Sexual” stands out as Australia’s first sitcom led by LGBTQ+ characters, blending humor and heart. When a new dating app leads to a surge in STIs across Victoria, Steph and Langdon decide to hire a medical student. However, when two students arrive by mistake, they must choose one to keep. They ultimately select Yasmin, who proves to be the more talented candidate. Meanwhile, biker Gary continues his attempts to win over the receptionist, whose indifferent demeanor, combined with Greg's shyness, results in some genuinely funny moments. In Episode 3, after a graphic billboard promoting the clinic gets vandalized, Langdon embarks on a mission to track down the graffiti artist. Simultaneously, Steph struggles with her…

Love in the Big City is a captivating Korean BL series that delves into the romantic escapades of a gay writer navigating the complexities of love. Spanning 8 episodes, each around 50 minutes long, the show follows our lead character—a single young man on a quest for romance. He encounters various men in bars, clubs, hobby groups, and hookup apps, each representing different walks of life. Some relationships are fleeting flings, while others evolve into profound emotional journeys. Throughout the highs and lows of his love life, the protagonist learns invaluable lessons about himself. Each pair of episodes highlights a distinct relationship, showcasing four unique love stories. We meet Go Young, a carefree young man who revels in clubbing with friends. Over time, he forms a close friendship with Mi Ae, a schoolmate known for her casual flings. Their bond grows strong, leading them to become roommates when Young moves out of his family home. During this time, he meets Nam Kyu, a shy photographer in his 30s, during a modeling gig, and they quickly become a couple. Although Nam Kyu is committed and exchanges rings with Young, their differing personalities—Young's extroverted nature versus Nam Kyu's more traditional tastes—create tension. Young's attention drifts, especially when he connects with another attractive guy at a club, ultimately leading to a messy breakup with Nam Kyu. Following this, Young dates an activist, but that relationship is short-lived as well. The most significant connection he forms is with a young nursing student from another city. Their relationship is tumultuous, filled with ups and downs,…

This Thai mini-series consists of just two episodes, each running about 65 minutes, yet it feels stretched thin with a plot that could easily fit into a short story. Released in 2024, the series suffers from cheesy, cliché dialogue that feels out of place, culminating in a drawn-out climax that shifts abruptly to a happy ending. The story revolves around Athit (or Manu), a resort owner who has been hurt in love and isolates himself from the world. He is currently renovating his resort when a booking error brings Pe, a lively visitor, to his doorstep. Pe, handsome and outgoing, insists on staying since he has already paid in full. As their contrasting personalities clash, they gradually warm up to each other. Pe, a budding novelist seeking inspiration, finds himself in a picturesque paradise, where his writing begins to mirror the budding romance between him and Athit. However, when Athit discovers that Pe is using their experiences as material for his story, he feels betrayed. Pe realizes his mistake and apologizes, leading to a swift turnaround where sparks fly, and Athit falls for him. This culminates in a love scene that promises a future together. Athit is portrayed as a genuinely good person, exuding devotion and sincerity, making it hard not to fall for him. Meanwhile, Pe evolves from a superficial character to one who learns to stand up for himself. However, despite these character developments, the plot remains stagnant. Much of the series drags on with repetitive banter, showcasing Pe’s attempts to capture Athit’s attention. The show is rife…

Set against the backdrop of Provincetown's beaches and streets, this film tells a poignant and heartwarming story about Lourenço, a young undocumented gay Brazilian counting down his last days in town before facing an uncertain future. It captures the melancholic essence of searching for love, grappling with loss, and confronting the unknown. Lourenço arrives in Provincetown on a tourist visa, having come to the U.S. with his then-lover, Joe, who has since vanished and fallen out of love. Despite Joe's absence, Lourenço continues to yearn for him, taking on house cleaning jobs to make ends meet. His landlord and neighbor, an older gay man, genuinely cares for him and looks out for him. While waiting for Joe, Lourenço meets Maurice, an attractive, soft-spoken Black nurse from Queens, who is in Provincetown for a brief stay before heading to a residency in Angola. Their connection deepens as they spend time together on the beach, drawn by a powerful physical attraction that is complicated by their individual anxieties. Their intimate scenes are steamy and beautifully shot, yet the question lingers: can they find a happy ending? As the story unfolds, Lourenço learns that Joe has moved on and is getting married, sending him into a spiral of partying on the last night before Maurice leaves. This imminent breakup feels like a missed opportunity for a potentially great relationship. The film doesn’t conclude on a joyful note; instead, it leaves us uncertain about Lourenço’s fate in the U.S. However, by the end, he finds the courage to tell his mother back home that…

Growing Up in a Straight World From the age of twelve, I sensed I was different from my classmates in elementary school—maybe even earlier. When does one truly become aware of their sexuality? Honestly, I’m still trying to figure it out. Living in the Danish countryside taught me that being gay was wrong, disgusting, and not a viable path. Most who didn’t conform to heterosexual norms fled to larger cities, leaving the countryside steeped in ignorance. Consequently, I lacked exposure to gay role models during my upbringing. One day, my father remarked that “bøsser” (which can mean either guns or gay men) were something you could shoot with or shoot at. I don’t blame him; it was a different time in the early '90s, and people were less informed. Acceptance for gay individuals moved at a snail's pace. While I wish there had been more education about sexuality back then, I can’t turn back time. These hateful comments made me question whether coming out was worth it, and that doubt lingered in my subconscious for years. Before coming out, I genuinely feared that my parents would disown me for being gay. Like many, I just wanted to fit in and make my parents proud—even if it meant hiding my true self. During my teenage years, I liked the idea of having a girlfriend but couldn’t fall in love with women. It was frustrating, and I tried hard to be someone I wasn’t. Determined to appear straight, I limited myself to a heterosexual world while suppressing my deepest secret. Over time,…

This is a story from an anonymous reader about their journey with alcohol and drugs from a young age and how they found their way through the darkness with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). “I started drinking and using drugs when I was around 16. At that time, I didn’t fully grasp why; it just felt like a lot of fun. From the very beginning, I drank until I blacked out and quickly moved on to harder substances with older guys I met while sneaking out to club in a nearby town. Looking back, it’s taken me a long time to realize that alcohol allowed me to escape from myself. I hated who I was and had incredibly low self-esteem. My father rejected me around age 12, and I sought what I now recognize as paternal love online. Unfortunately, older men in their 30s and 40s took advantage of my vulnerability in the worst ways. Alcohol dulled the pain and gave me a false sense of confidence. Even on the last night of my drinking, a decade later, it still masked my pain. I excelled academically, getting straight As and attending some of the best universities in the world. I landed high-powered jobs in politics, all while being a mess. Not every day, but usually from Thursday to Sunday, I was intoxicated. I knew I was struggling, but I never thought my behavior was abnormal; I believed I was living my best life among others who also drank heavily and used drugs. In hindsight, I see how unhappy I…

Everyone's coming out story is unique. For some, it’s as simple as a quick chat with family. For others, it feels like climbing a mountain barefoot. And while some stories may be cocoa-like bitter, they can transform into sweet chocolates when shared. Here are a few first-time coming out experiences: “I was 19.It was a Tuesday afternoon in October, and I was heading to college. Sweat dripped down my back as I stood outside the black iron gates of Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. My mom called and asked, ‘Are you gay?’ Just like that, her straightforward question did all the heavy lifting for me. Later, she would out me to my sister in Australia, my grandparents, aunties, best friends, and even the local parish before I got home from college that weekend. At the time, I was furious; I felt it was my story to tell. Now, though, it’s a funny tale I share on first dates over a pint or two.” “I was 16 and experiencing love for the first time.I was terrified of my feelings, but thankfully, my crush confessed her love for me. I reciprocated, and we decided to take things slow as girlfriends. We would kiss goodbye secretly in the girls’ bathroom after school and spent the summer together. As school approached, we agreed to be open about our relationship. Unfortunately, she pressured me to come out to my parents. I eventually told them, but not because I was ready; I was scared of losing her. My friends at school were surprisingly accepting, but my…

DisclaimerExclamation marks represent personal stories within question marks. Alternatively, I could’ve called them “Stories that made us or broke us.” This tale unfolds years ago in a small village in northern Greece. I’ll do my best to stay true to the original and share everything I remember. Let’s start with a cute oneComing out can be daunting.It’s a slow and painful journey. First, we have to come out to ourselves, then to those we love, or sometimes even to strangers we encounter online or in bathroom stalls. Some never come out, living their lives in shadows and fear, while others find themselves coming out almost daily. Coming out at a young age—especially when you feel isolated from other queer individuals—can feel like diving into an unfamiliar lake in the middle of the night. You have no idea what the water’s like or what creatures lurk beneath the surface. It’s terrifying, especially if you’re feeling vulnerable or still believe in monsters. When I was thirteen, I decided to test the waters. I imagined myself on a boat in the middle of the lake, dipping my finger in to check the temperature. At that point, I hadn’t come out to myself yet; I didn’t realize I was a flaming homo in incubation. But I was dying to know: How would people react if I turned out to be one? The SettingThe story begins with me and probably my best childhood friend, sitting on a bench outside a graveyard. We were trying to figure out why we were the only two not invited…

I was deep in sleep when my mum gently woke me up. Tears streamed down her face, and she looked bewildered. “Come to the living room, please. I don’t want to wake your brother.” There’s never a perfect moment for someone to discover you’re LGBT. And there’s no completely wrong time, either. People are seldom ready for the truth. Often, they might already sense it but choose to maintain the facade of normalcy. I felt a knot in my stomach. Was it something terrible? Had my dad passed away? Were my parents getting divorced? I sensed that something was amiss, and I felt like I was somehow at fault, though I had no idea why. As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, I felt heavy and disjointed, despite being just 16, skinny, and athletic. This is the saddest story I’ve ever shared, and I hope it remains the saddest forever. To many, it might seem like my parents were monsters or just clueless. But they’re wonderful people who did everything they could; it just wasn’t enough. When I entered the living room, my mum was already sitting on the couch, tears flowing. She handed me a piece of paper and asked, “What is this? I found it in your pocket.” It was a love note—a silly, sweet, and somewhat risqué message from a classmate. He expressed his feelings for me, saying he loved me or wanted to be intimate. Honestly, I can’t recall the exact words, and it doesn’t matter. It was simply a teenage poem…

In this film aptly named 'Sex', the narrative takes place in contemporary urban Norway. With some clever wordplay, it pushes back against traditional ideas of masculinity and societal expectations, no matter if the characters see themselves as straight or gay. Honestly, I think this film would’ve worked better as a stage play. It’s loaded with dialogue, and at times, I found myself thinking, “Can we just get on with it, please?” More on that later. Two chimney sweeps, both in committed heterosexual relationships, encounter situations that shake up their views on sexuality and gender roles. One of them has been dreaming about a passionate romance with David Bowie, who makes him feel feminine, while the other has recently had a sexual experience with a male client—an unexpected yet delightful encounter, which turns sour when he confides in his wife. They don’t see themselves as gay, but as time passes, they start to question their identities. The film then shifts focus to how the second guy's wife reacts to her husband’s infidelity. He tries to handle her intense emotional response to what he considers a minor hiccup, and both are taken aback by the situation. The storyline of the first guy feels a bit scattered and lacks a solid resolution. He tends to fall back on clichés that the film can’t fully explore since he struggles to understand the heteronormative standards he’s critiquing. The two main characters grapple with their sexual identities and come to terms with their own deviations, reflecting on how these affect their futures. The film also dives…

Honestly, I had zero expectations for the film since I didn't know much about it. Given the landscape of Asian, especially Thai, BL series, I try to keep my hopes in check. Thankfully, this film turned out to be a delightful surprise. It tackles a topic that many films shy away from: What exactly are "rights"? Are they inherent to everyone, regardless of age, background, culture, or other circumstances, or do we have to earn them? Can the law dictate these rights, or do we simply assume we're entitled to them based on tradition or circumstance? This question takes on a different weight for gay couples in countries where the law doesn't recognize their relationships. The film presents a story from such a viewpoint. Thongkam and Sek are a gay couple who pour their life savings into a durian orchard. Thongkam even sells his house to fund the venture. They get married, despite the law not recognizing their union. One night, while working on the farm, Thongkam suffers a tragic accident and dies, as the doctors can’t get a signature from a "family" member—his husband isn’t legally recognized as family. Consequently, the assets now pass to Sek's mother, who lives with her adopted daughter, Mo. Both mother and daughter have their own ulterior motives. Swallowing his pride, Thongkam stays behind, hoping to reclaim what’s rightfully his, but a cat-and-mouse game ensues between him and Mo. Mo believes that after her mother’s death, everything will belong to her, so she invites her brother to the farm to help. Unbeknownst to them,…

This film is the follow-up to 2021’s Mascarpone, which I really enjoyed, so my expectations for the sequel were quite high. To recap, in the original, Antonio breaks up with his husband and moves in with a sex worker named Denis. Denis helps him land a job as an apprentice baker with Luca, leading to a romantic relationship that includes threesomes until Denis’s untimely death. The sequel picks up three years later. Now, Antonio has become a successful celebrity pastry chef and food influencer with a substantial Instagram following. He hasn’t seen Luca since Denis passed away, and his dating life has been lackluster as he focused on his career. One day, Luca walks into his café, and they reconnect. Luca has faced challenges over the past three years, losing his bakery but now thriving as a youth worker at an LGBTQ homeless refuge, engaged to his boyfriend Tancredi. Realizing he still has feelings for Luca, Antonio decides to sabotage Luca’s relationship with Tancredi to win him back. He proposes a business partnership to reopen Luca’s bakery, mistakenly interpreting Luca’s kindness as romantic interest. As things unfold, Antonio’s friends help him see that he’s becoming bitter and arrogant, jeopardizing a happy couple for his own desires. Ultimately, he recognizes the need to let go of the past and embrace the future. I remember noting in my review of the original that the cast was attractive, and that holds true here—both Antonio and Luca remain incredibly appealing. I wasn’t a fan of the actor playing Tancredi, but his character was significant…