New Phoenix leather clears major hurdle, STR8 guests in gay spaces, San Diego Pride!
Daily Inspiration: False pride always keeps us overly concerned about reputation
* Definition: False pride is an inflated ego used to mask deep-seated insecurity.
* Defensiveness: Interpreting constructive feedback or differing opinions as personal attacks.
* Impression Management: Constantly manipulating how others perceive you to validate your self-worth.
* Inability to Apologize: Viewing the admission of faults as a threat to your social standing.
True vs. False Pride: According to Psychology Today, pride generally falls into two distinct categories:
* False Pride: Driven by fear and internalized shame. It relies on external validation, status, and pretending to be flawless to manipulate others’ opinions.
* True Pride: Derived from authentic accomplishments and personal values. It builds self-respect, allows for learning from mistakes, and does not require constant praise from others.
Check In:
* Abusive Arizona summer heat keeping me inside.
* Contemplating fall travels, LA, men’s retreat, Palm Springs Leather.
* Vivid dreams of spirits passed.
Social: Protecting The Culture Of Our Gay Spaces
* Last week’s “Catch of the Week” strikes a chord with Bachelorette and Bridesmaid parties in gay bars.
* The larger point is that when visiting gay spaces, non-gay people should recognize they are quests in our house.
* If you can’t treat them with respect, don’t go there.
Community: Barracks Bar Phoenix Moves Forward
* Congratulations to Matthew Moody for clearing a high hurdle of obtaining a liquor license from the Arizona State Liquor Board, to push forward with opening the new Barracks Phoenix leather bar.
* The new Barracks Phoenix will be located on 7th Avenue in the Melrose District which is the known Gayborhood in Arizona – dotted with other LGBTQ+ clubs and businesses.
* Moody, a local Phoenix leather and kink party promoter has spent years as a popular DJ at regional events a local venues. He was also 2ndt runner up for the IML podium in 2023.
* It had been a dream of Matthew for years to open a new leather bar here in Phoenix and his opportunity came when the Barracks Cathedral City closed two years ago. He formed a partnership with Barracks owner Richard “Scott” Murchison to open a new Barracks Bar here in Phoenix.
* Unfortunately, the partnership resulted in years of legal battles and hurdles with local community and local government agencies as the Barracks owner brought with him a storied past and lots of baggage from the local government in Cathedral City and several violation allegations California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. As we have come to know, the Barracks Cathedral City had closed down amid clouds of controversies.
* Earlier this year the duo came to a realization that to have any hope of success, they had to remove Murchison from the corporate structure to allow the Barracks Phoenix to move forward to get final approvals from both the City of Phoenix and obtain a liquor license.
* It was not quite that that simple however as Moody had one remaining foe, Phoenix resident and heir to the Uhaul fortune, Stuart Shoen.
* Shoen and his attorney waged a day long show trial at the Arizona State Liquor Board meeting this week calling into question gay culture and gay sex clubs which wandered endlessly into conversations about pornography, hanky codes, wild sex orgies and more.
* Shoen throughout the process defended his objections as not being bigoted against gay bars, but against sex clubs – which they accused the Barracks Cathedral City of being. For eight however they however used gay leather culture as a cudgel against approval for Barracks to move forward.
* On a number of occasions both in media and at the hearing Shoen voiced concerns about his reputation being harmed in this process, warning the press and others not to defame his character. At one point he stated to a media outlet, “I am not a public figure – I’m a private citizen exercising my legal rights. You should consider that my children may find your article floating around the internet one day. Republishing this kind of thing is not in the public interest, and I take my reputation extremely seriously.”
* Once beyond the clown show of complaints about sex clubs, pornography and gay culture in general, the Arizona State Liquor Board eventually approved the application so the Barracks can move forward.
* The footnote here is that Moody and the new Phoenix Barracks will be under a microscope with no room for error. Like in all gay spaces we as a community need to respect and support them, and police ourselves in our behaviors there to keep from harming the establishment itself.
Event: San Diego Pride Festival– July 18-19th
* July 11-19 is Pride Week in San Diego!
* The weekend festival event to be held at Balboa Park on July 18-19th.
* Big lineup of events all week, a parade, large scale festival and major entertainment headlined by Krewella.
* https://sdpride.org/
Catch Of The Week: Turkey has blocked an LGBTQ+ Atlantis cruise from docking, citing “moral values.”
* The country with super hot AI grade shirtless muscle men clad in tight leather pants drenched with glistening oil and wrestling barefoot in the sand as a national sport is concerned with homosexuality.
* Egypt follows.
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