10 Gay Websites To Love & 10 To Leave
Wondering which gay websites are worth it? This coming out coach and expert has the scoop.
I'm in a sassy mood. Maybe it's all these gay websites I've been putting under a microscope that've got me all worked up. Or maybe it's the anticipation that I'm going to be virtually boo'd, hissed, and fierce-snapped at because I didn't include some sistah's favorite "get ya rocks off" gay website in my review, or because some leather chaps-wearing muscle daddy's favorite BDSM website on my "leave it" list.
Well, get over it boyfriends and man up! These gay websites, in my opinion, are some of the best and worst. Feel free to leave your own lists in the comments section and, hey, if you really want to reprimand me, we can discuss it. (So long as there are leather chaps involved).
Wait, one more thing. HuffPost Gay Voices, Advocate, Out Traveler, and Gay.com, and all the wonderful Advocacy sites HRC, GLSEN, Trevor Project, Family Equality Council, Lambda Legal, NOH8 Campaign, National Gay And Lesbian Task Force, PFLAG, and Gay Straight Alliance were eliminated from the best gay websites competition because they're just automatically fabulous... and we all know it!
Let's start with my 10 Gay Websites to love:
In the spirit of fairness, these are in no particular order. So don't get your jock straps in a bunch, 'kay?
Out Sports. Delicious and worth the visit even if you're not a sports fan. Covering — and revealing — everything and everyone who's out in the sports world, this site has something for everyone. Whether you’re interested in sports or simply have voyeuristic fantasies about being a pommel horse for the US Gymnastic team, it's a gay websites that will continue to grow as more athletes come out of the closet.
Queerty. Finding the gay websites that deliver the most "value" can be a daunting task. However, Queerty is touted as one of the best gay websites on the net, if for no other reason than its tagline: Free of agenda. Except the gay one. True to their word, it's all about gay.
Gay Weddings. No list of top gay websites would be complete without giving a nod to one that provides ideas for how to "pop the question," to "where to take your clothes off after you say 'I do.'" While many gay websites and mainstream sites attempt to be a wedding planner's dream companion, no one does it better than the first and oldest same-sex wedding planning site. Now, who wants to get married?
One Good Love. One of the newest gay websites to vie for position and attract those "looking for love" is West Hollywood-based OneGoodLove.com. While not a matchmaking service in the traditional sense, they're quickly becoming one of the top gay websites to go to for relationship-focused gay guys.
Out. What was once the go-to print publication for everything gay, Here Media has done a fabulous job of transitioning the bulk of their fashion, entertainment, lifestyle, travel and nightlife, news and opinions content into a thriving online presence that is just one of the media empire's gay websites. Still in print, Out is has not yet succumbed to pressure to become purely an online presence, but for this reviewer, they get five sassy snaps for being one the best gay websites on the net!
Man Hunt, Adam4Adam, Big Muscle... my fingers will break before I can complete the list of hookup sites. (Note to self, next review needs to be "Best Gay Websites For Hooking Up")! My sources tell me these are the best sites for those looking to get your freak on. As a happily partnered gay man, I'm not a user of these sites. Of course, there was a site I used to frequent: PlanetOut.com. It's the reason I'm in a great relationship. Gay websites rock for hooking-up, being evasive, displaying pictures where size matters (even if it's not your real size), and for making good use of "selfies" that are 10 years old! In other words? Use with caution.
Gay Cities. Some may not agree with me on this one, however, for me, if I can't navigate your site easily, I'm gone. Compared to other gay websites specializing in travel, dining, and entertainment, Gay Cities provides a robust user-driven community, as well as unique content for destinations around the world. There's no better way to discover what's happening and get in on it.
Born Gay Born This Way and I'm From Driftwood. For those of you looking for the heartstring-tugs and tears, I recommend both of these gay websites. Make sure you have a box of tissues at the ready. Real-life stories about people from all walks of life, and their journey into their gay selves prevail and are worth Tweeting, Facebook sharing, and Pinterest pinning.
Real Jock. I've yet to meet a gay man who doesn’t have some fascination with jocks. RealJock.com scores the touchdown in gay websites that cater to the health and fitness-conscious gay man. Not only does it have a thriving community of fit hotties and hottie wannabes, it's one of the best sources for fitness, nutrition, mind and body tips for gay men who are serious about rockin' that body.
My Honorable mention gay websites are: GayStarNews.com, GayTwogether.com, Towelroad.com, FREE2LUV, BigMuscleBear, JoeMyGod, LGBTQNation.com, and Affordable Colleges Online's LGBTQ College Student Resource Guide
Now for the 10 gay websites that just didn't get me off:
Homorazzi. I'm just not infatuated with the celebrity life. While Donovan and gang have done a bang up job of covering all the bases for everything entertainment, I found the site a little clunky in style and navigation, (but who am I to talk... my own gay websites need an overhaul too). The thing that would make this a stand out front-runner in the spectrum of gay websites site would be to have a more robust, interactive, community. On a scale of 5 snaps, I give the Homorazzi hotties three and a half snaps!
TheNewGay.net. I preface this review with, "I'm 50 and have to wear glasses to see things on the computer." That being said, while this could be a contender for one of the most content-rich gay websites, it loses points for the monochromatic palate and the compacted presentation of text, which makes it hard to decipher headings from links and actual copy. But if you dig, you'll discover a lot of great content hidden in the site. Brush up the style, give it some pops of color, guide the reader easily to the unique content, explain the penguins (!?), and you'll have a winner. For now, you get two and a half snaps.
ShoutOutHealth.com. Upon close inspection, the most current articles appear at Shout Out Health appear only on the homepage. Navigating to specific topic categories, such as "Ask The Life Coach," and "Fitness", led to articles two to five years old. For your effort you receive 2 snaps. And if you need a life coach, I hear this guy is pretty darn good.
MyOutSpirit.com. I joined this site a couple of years ago when I first started my coaching practice. It's a great networking community with most the content being generated by the community. Therein lies the problem. Gay websites with spirituality flair are few and far between on the Internet. If this site had more consistent, fresh content, it would thrive in the divine essence of gay websites that feed the soul.
UnicornBooty.com. I love the name of this site. In fact that's what caught my eye. But I'm not sure if the site owners rode away on the unicorn as most the content is dated. It also appears that these cute entrepreneurs, all five of them, lost sight of their initial vision: "...to connect people with gay-friendly businesses so we can support companies that support us!" However, a lot of the content is cool. I give a booty snap rating of three!
Hunk du Jour. What I loved about this site is the "eye candy." And what I didn't like about this site was the "eye candy." I appreciate their intent to "deliver photos, interviews, and profiles of noteworthy men." However, I hadn't heard of most the guys on the site — and how about showcasing some noteworthy guys in their 40s and 50s. Add a little more interesting content, and I'd be visiting this site daily. Hunk du Jour, your snap score is a solid four!
My Gay Web. Dysfunctional? No. Confused? Maybe. Trying to be everything to everybody? Yes. Don't get me wrong; there's tons of stuff on this site. Puzzles, a dream dictionary, business listings, travel planning, e-cards, news, shopping, and even gay awards. Sigh. That's all I have to say. Snap rating two and a half!
Craigslist.org Personals. No matter where I go, nor how many gay men I chat with, at some point in time, the Craigslist flakes are a part of the conversation. However, for those closeted married guys, Craigslist's M2M personals is the king of websites for wasting time. Snap score = zero. Have some dignity and fun and use an app!
Gray Gay. This domain has potential. The site, unfortunately, doesn't deliver in the world of gay websites. The dated content reveals that whomever owns and runs it has drifted into retirement. Sorry Gray Gay’s, but I can only dole out one and a half snaps.
WayOutWest.TV. Once again, a cool concept for showcasing gay movies, TV shows, and video blogs. It's as if the channel's there but the producers have gone on hiatus.
That's it, and that’s a wrap. Whew. I truly don't know how reviewers do this stuff day-in and day-out. Ready for payback? Here's your chance to review my websites! Be kind: