©Photoxpress.com/Andy Heyward.

(BlogMensGo 5th January 2012) Time goes so fast! its already the 5th, but I am finally back! With working in Milan over new years and then back in the office straight after, I have not stopped! And as usual, corporate Switzerland wants its pound of flesh!

So, we hope you have all recovered nicely from the Xmas and New Years festivities! and now feeling refreshed! Being Thursday we can all hopefully relax in the thought that we hopefully can have a fairly quiet weekend!

We hope 2012 will see more growth with the MensGo empire, that we can not only grow the blog into more languages but also improve its content and frequency of articles! Bringing more entertainment, health and news relating to our community!

We have already seen a competition running with MensGo, things are on the up for us!

If you have not signed up already for MensGo and are just reading this blog, don’t forget to do so, its not just a dating site, but more social network which is ever growing, along with a social calendar!

So, Happy New Year and we look forward to spending more time with you over the coming year!

Matt / MensGo

A Christmas with pure water, I dare you! ©Photoxpress.com/Mykola Velychko.

(Blogmensgo, December 25, 2011) The Gay Blog MensGo is going to have a a phase of half-sleep until 2nd January 2012 inclusive.

There is no complete rest for the wicked, as I am working Milan 29/30/31st and returning to Lausanne on the 1st.  Yes, am working over New Years in my role as photographer.

Hope you are all having a lovely xmas and you have an even better new years.  We wish you all the best for 2012 and hope it will be a happy and prosperous one for you all!

So I guess it will be the usual, January new years resolutions of getting back to the gym, don’t drink as much etc….lets see how long we can make it last!

So….from Switzerland, Happy Holidays!

Matt / MensGo

Of course, the women didn’t let him get away, instead, one of them tackled him to the ground while waiting for a bouncer at a nearby bar.  Neither of the women were injured but lane was arrested on a charge of malicious harassment (hate crime) and also could be charged with assault for his threatening actions.

I say….good on ya girls!

Via the Advocate

Minister Manu Sareen. Hunk gay-friendly. © Flickr / Ditte Valente.

(Blogmensgo, November 29, 2011) The first same-sex marriages should be celebrated in Denmark by the summer of 2012. Manu Sareen, Minister for Equality and the Church since October 3, 2011, will file a bill to that effect in Parliament. It will take about six months to enact the law and its implementing decree.

Legalizing gay marriage will delete concomitant PACS (or “registered partnership” according to local terminology), that Denmark was the first country to establish. The Minister Sareen’s announcement comes after the death of activist Axel Axgil on October 29, 2011, who had PACS (Eigil and his companion, who died in 1995) on 1 October 1989, that is to say the same day that the PACS came into force in Denmark.

The homosexual and heterosexual couples have exactly the same rights and their union will be uniformly designated by the word marriage. Homosexual couples can adopt children after two years (see our article in the March 18, 2009) and the Lutheran pastors who wish are allowed since 1997 to bless the little pacs by truncating the ritual of marriage.

Protestantism has a status of state religion in Denmark, where the Lutheran church claims more than 80% of the population among its faithful. The previously refused obedience same-sex marriages, although most of its bishops are in favor of marriage between gays or lesbians.

The Bishop of Copenhagen, Peter Skov-Jakobsen, welcomes this new “political decision”, while saying he understands that some people resent the predicted demise of the statutory differences between married couples and civil unions. Last year, 63% of Danes were in favor of religious marriage of homosexual couples (see our article in the March 10, 2010).

Manu Sareen. The Minister also likes pink balloons. © Flickr / Bo Knudsen Nissen / Hovedstadens Radikale Venstre.

The text of the future marriage law should provide a number of details concerning the rights and duties of spouses and how marriages are celebrated. The pastors who wish will probably not allowed to gay marriages, but the Lutheran Church must find replacements for their blessing marriages between same sex.

By consulting the English Wikipedia file of the Minister Manu Sareen, I see it “was named Politician of the Year in 2003, 2006 and 2007 by the Association LGBT Danmark”. It is also the first man having been appointed Minister for Equality in Denmark.

This article has been translated from our French blog.  To view the original article, click here.

Philca & Matt / MensGo
(via Le Figaro du 23 novembre 2011)

The hope is to live - as triple therapy. © UNAIDS / DR.

(Blogmensgo, November 28, 2011) UNAIDS noted in its report published on September 21, 2011 PDF that 34 million people worldwide were living with HIV / AIDS at the end of 2010, an increase of 3.3% in one year and 17% in ten years. This is good news, since this figure demonstrates both greater effectiveness of triple therapy and more widespread use of antiretroviral drugs.

“We are on the verge of a breakthrough in the response to AIDS. “Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, announced his optimism at the outset. According to him, and subject to “move from a fragmented approach in the short term response to long-term strategic investments that are accompanied by the height,” it is not forbidden to consider the eventual disappearance of HIV / AIDS.

Several indicators accredit the victory of man over the pandemic, although there are still black spots. Thus the annual rate of new HIV infections he fell 21% between 1997 and 2010, the number of AIDS deaths has also fallen back by 21% since 2005. It was still, for 2010 alone, still 2.7 million new HIV infections and 1.8 million deaths due to HIV / AIDS.

At the same time, sub-Saharan Africa, the continent most affected, increasing ART coverage of 20% between 2009 and 2010, while at the same time certain population groups, such as those “men who have sex with men and transgender people, “began to change their behavior and strategies for protection.

Nearly half (47%) of HIV positive people now receiving antiretroviral treatment in developing countries. But this same statistic is less than 20% in 17 countries in which poverty is generally considered (Madagascar, Sudan) but in some cases rather relative (Latvia, Tunisia). In developing countries, half of the infected are unaware of their HIV status, which is an obstacle to reducing HIV / AIDS.

The UNAIDS set itself a target of “zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths” in 2015. This will include the elimination, by then, of new HIV infections in children.

Comment. Perhaps this is due to a cursory reading, but I have not seen the report in 2011 mentioned the disastrous policies openly homophobic here and there. It is likely that some countries make up  and down their statistics on HIV / AIDS, especially where homosexuality is condemned to death. Makeup doubly guilty, because not conducive to a minimum of prophylaxis.

This article has been translated from the original article on our French blog.  To view the original article click here.

Philca & Matt / MensGo

(via all thé press, and Le Monde of 21 november 2011)

The blue color, if favorable to Klein of an eye ... © 2010 Angels.ch / Flashlight.

The night promises to be warm and cosmopolitan. For heat, I can imagine: 2800 people are expected. For cosmopolitanism, towards Belgium, with the DJ, producer, songwriter and host of the evening, Steven Redant. Then a hook to Italy, with the showman Kevin Delite, accompanied by the Angel Boys of Switzerland and some reinforcements from the United States (DJ Frank Wild), Switzerland (DJ Ajaxx) and even Zurich (Angel O).

The international network gay five-star MensGo will also participate in the internationalization of the celebrations, through its two DragBoys, from one of France (the lucky ones saw at the Jungle of Easter 2011 in Lausanne) Brazil and the other with all its feathers [private joke] also prefers to pluck rather than wield the pen … [/ private joke].

MensGo take the opportunity to deliver a few goodies, including a credit card sized treat that I can not reveal today. But I promise, we’ll talk soon on this blog because it is something that is worth more that we can get it for free.

The entrance to the Black Party, however, is not free. I think I read that it costs around 42 Swiss francs, ie 34.5 euros. It is better to book online, otherwise you might wait several minutes on Helvetiaplatz behind hundreds of guys (ideal for dredging, except that Switzerland is not in the tropics and it is turning cold now). Part of the revelers wish to extend the event after, but I do not know for the moment – and if – it is programmed to go ahead.

A helpful hint: arrange yourself to jabber at least English or German, because French is not the currency of the most popular in Zurich. The latest one of 2800 clubbers expected is ME! I will be your friendly photographer snapping away pics of you all enjoying yourselves!

In brief :
Black Party by Angels.ch
Volkshaus
(get off at Helvetiaplatz station)
Stauffacherstrasse 60
8004 Zürich – Suisse

Matt & Philca

via Angels E Mail.

Here we go again....©Duck Sauce

BlogMensGo 26th October 2011, Duck Sauce are back again with another song….not sure how this one is going to go…maybe its a bit of a Marmite Track (Non UK readers are gonna have to look up the Marmite brand and logo for that one), my initial thought on hearing it is great the first time round, but not sure how I am going to feel if I keep hearing it in clubs or worse….its repeated on the radio every 30 mins.  What is catching the attention at the moment of the public is its controversial video, featuring ‘Crotch Faces’.  The video makes for some truly interesting viewing and is certainly worth a gander! Reminds me of something that may have been created by Aphex Twin or similar but in fact the song has been worked along with Armand Van Helden ‘You don’t know me‘ which takes me back to my days of being a closeted Jehovahs Witness.

Rolling Stone Magazine seems to be getting a lot of hits here with the video, they seem to have grabbed the article and video first! So all thanks goes to them for this article! and have a listen and view of that video here! Although I am very sure you are going to hear this everywhere from this weekend!

Oooh and Duck Sauce are on MySpace too!

Matt / MensGo

via Rolling Stone

The germ does not care about the panel, was not his license! © Gay-box.ch.

(Blogmensgo, October 19, 2011) The Swiss Aid against AIDS, has organized during the month of October 2011, free testing for syphilis. The tests are performed in nine screening centers and relate to gay and bisexual men who have never been affected by this disease.

To get tested for free, simply print out this PDF and drop into the care center partner in the operation (in Aargau and Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, St. Gallen Zurich). Free screenings are valid until November 18, 2011.

Syphilis is a contagious disease that is easily treated, but five times or ten times the risk of HIV infection. In Switzerland, half of the 975 new cases in 2010 were men who had sex with men.

Transmission is usually by anal (bisexuals may also fear contamination of vaginal origin) or oral sex. The use of condoms – indeed indispensable even in the event of oral sex – is not enough because the disease can also be transmitted orally. The incubation period of up to one month for the first symptoms or even two and a half months for the most visible, we can transmit or receive syphilis without knowing it.

Untreated syphilis significantly increases the risk of transmission of the pathogen, exposes the wearer with an increased risk of HIV infection, may have irreversible consequences, sometimes causing death. Having virtually disappeared in developed countries in the late twentieth century, syphilis cases rose sharply in France and Switzerland since 2000.

Anyone who has been infected with syphilis must regularly test their HIV status. To measure the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment adopted to ensure that it is not likely to infect others and also to verify that it has not been re-contaminated, as it can get syphilis again after been cured.

via information received.

Matt & Philca / MensGo

(BlogMensGo, 02 October 2011) We are now back from Manchester Pride and Sitges Bear week! Far from rested…..This Pride being the 6th in Manchester I have attended.  Having come out in London and in the past regularly going back for visits, I have never been able to comprehend how Manchester can turn pride into such a massive event spanning a week with a penultimate weekend of well known artists, entertainment, socialising and most importantly fund raising, an event that leaves London not even attempting to try and keep up.

This year, it was announced that the event is now being bantered about as ‘Gay Christmas’ and I would totally agree.  We arrived on friday and were greeted by a press conference with wine and nibbles.  The Pride organiser Jackie Crozier along with other speakers (patrons and local government members) gave speeches telling us how far they have come since they started with a small stand outside the Rembrandt Bar 21 years ago.  They have raised nearly a million pounds and have expected this year to top this and Manchester Pride rightly brags that they are the only pride to contribute a large proportion of the monies raised every year without fail.

Before I go on with the line up for the weekend and what we got up to, I get something off my chest.  If you are a regular attendee or used to be or know of Manchester Pride, you may have heard of issues regarding the cash flow of the event.  I think there were some issues in the past as there are bits knocking about on the internet, but it’s something that has long since past.  I have heard of people refusing to go now and even had a comment on my previous posting re the event along the lines of ‘why should we pay to go to bars that we never pay to go to normally’.  To these people, stop for a minute.  Look at how much you pay at the most £25 but £15 if you book early.  Think how much it costs to shut a large area off to the public, hire car parks, set up sound stages, pay for acts like Alexandra Burke, Human League, Blue, Pixie Lott, Heather Small etc, have security manning the event, close the streets and clean up for the parade, a years worth of planning.  I bought tickets for Human League a couple years ago, and paid nearly forty quid! I REALLY do not know how people can justify moaning at paying such a small fee for 4 packed days of events.  How much would you pay for V Festival or Glastonbury? I know the scale is much different, but you get my meaning….Rant over!

So what goes on this weekend?

The Pride event in Manchester is split into four parts.  The first being the week proceeding pride from the 19th – 25th the Pride Fringe, this is a range of events celebrating the diversity of LGBT life through art, sport, culture and more.  I can not really comment much on this as I did not arrive until the Friday evening and have not attended in the past.  You can find out more about this here.

Friday evening the gay village is closed off to members of the public, to gain entry you need a wrist band, if you book online or buy the ticket via a bar as an ‘early bird’ then you will pay about £15 but on the days you can buy either individual tickets or the weekend ticket with the top price being £25.

Within the village you have the following arena’s:

‘The gaydar main arena’ where the big acts play, Friday we had Angie Brown and Pixie Lott, Saturday: Soundgirl and Pixie Lott. Sunday: Alexandra Burke, Sugababes, Patrick Wolfe and a host of other bands and finally Monday (being a national holiday in the UK): Blue, Hazel Dean, 4 Poofs and a Piano, along with a number of other performers.  Whilst there are no performers the crowds are entertained with the Gaydar DJ’s.

‘Sackville Gardens’ which is used for the slightly smaller acts such as Pet Shop Bears, Cosmo Jarvis, Elouise, Bruno Langley, Gay Games, Proms in the park and finally the Candlelight Vigil (more to follow later).

‘Village Square’ with another staged area and tents for ‘refreshments’ hosts more acts by the likes of the Manbears ‘Bear Explosion’, Bears Aloud (who I was privileged to act as their official photographer and they have allowed me to link to these from here), Kev Wright, Grizzly Sisters, Alfie Ordinary, Jason James, Zara and so many more.

‘Lifestyle Expo’ an undercover outdoor exhibition space with information from and about community groups, health, sports clubs, legal advice, travel and many more.

‘Village Market’ not the sort of Village Market many British folk would be used to, this hosts market stools from the likes of Not for Ponies, Proud Body Jewellery, Wonderland, Silver Bead Shop, Hog Works, Lovebomb, Wigs up North, Queen of Cupcakes, Mission Malawi, BBT Clothing, Killer Kilts and many others.  You can buy anything here from Jewellery to Leather attire to arts and crafts.

(wow I am trying to sum all this up without making the article too long, but its impossible).

‘Women’s Stage’ This was previous called ‘The Women’s Space’, sponsored by The Lesbian Community Project is an area for the girls, I kinda wanted to go into this and see some of the acts as they looked quite good (obviously on an official basis) but was not sure if it would go down too well.  Maybe next year.  Some really good looking acts, from stand up comedy to live music to…..a drag king competition and the UK’s number 1 drag king Valentino King.

All these events are going on all the time, with the pivotal point being Canal Street and surrounding streets (any with a drinking establishment), with its host of bars for all shapes and sizes, there is a bar for every taste.

Saturday is the main parade: kicking off at 1pm and for the second year in a row, it stopped raining literally 5 minutes before kick off.  The procession this year was bigger than it has ever been with floats ranging from 2 gay rugby teams, banks, government, police, fire service, charities, bars, clubs, even national television with the Manchester based soap Coronation Street, I think just about everyone had a part except for the military.  When I spoke to Jackie Crozier she stated that she has been trying to get the military to march with Manchester Pride as they do with London but they are not playing ball at the moment.  I guess we take it for granted that our services can march at all as they are not allowed to here in Switzerland and many other countries.  The parade took the route starting from Liverpool Road, down Deansgate (one of the main shopping routes) St Ann’s Street, Cross Street, Albert Square where each float is announced as the Mayor of Manchester looks on, Princess street into the gay village where there are roars and cheers and finishing up in Whitworth Street.  I have to say, along with the whole event, I think this pride has to have been so far the biggest and best.

Although slightly off grid, but only very slightly, and not officially part of the pride events, but VERY popular, I want to also mention the Outpost Bar and Legends.  In particular the club night Bollox hosted for the gays who are not into the gay music.  You will find my photos along with the others and thank you to Mr Connelly for allowing me in with a bulky camera (which I had trouble using due to my lens steaming up every time I took the cap off in the main dancefloor).  Their motto ‘Bollox to the gay scene’ plays non mainstream music such as Adam and the Ants, The Knife, Gossip, Ting Tings and a lot of other bands that I have not heard of.  Some amazing dress to be seen in here too! Well worth going to but get there before the doors open as there is often a big line outside!

So the whole event finishes off on a more somber note with the Candle Light vigil.  At this point the gates are opened for general members of the public to enter and take part, as usual Sackville Gardens is over filled and people have to line Sackville street to take part and see/hear whats going on.  The event focuses on not just gay people but also straight people who have been affected by the illness.  There are performances by the Manchester Lesbian and Gay Choir along with various speeches by well known members of the community.  Jonathan Mayor presents the vigil in his usual gripping way.  Also mentioned was the campaign in America ‘It get’s better’ focusing on the recent suicides of bullied gay teenagers, the vigil is broadcast over the internet and on BBC Radio, Jonathan had the crowd shout to the people listening a message, telling them that it gets better, we are here and we love them.  A silence follows, broken by a song at which point everyone there lifts their lit candles in the air.  The whole event draws to a close with fireworks marking the close.  Everyone heads back to the village for their final drink before heading on home.

Amazing to see early the next morning when you walk through the village, you would never believe how much had gone on over the weekend, its all cleaned up and ready for business.

If you have not been to Manchester Pride before, no matter where you are coming from, I strongly recommend it! even if you are heading over from far afield, its well worth it!

Please have a look at our photos from the event here I hope you like! Update: the video at the top is now from Pride 2011, the video below is Pride 2010.

Now time for some rest!

Matt / MensGo

Cet article est disponible dans notre site en français ici 

©Daily Mail

(Blogmensgo, September 24, 2011) New Australian passports now give the holder the choice between the masculine, feminine or indeterminate (X). And United Kingdom passports may soon no longer assign a gender identity.  More to follow.

Translated from original article on our French Blog.  To view the original click here.

Via the world press

Matt & Philca / MensGo

Evening fog ... so avoid driving after!

(Blogmensgo, September 24, 2011) If you are at a loose end tonight and in the area…make yourself beautiful and to head for Geneva. Tonight, September 24, 2011, 23:30 am to dawn, we will host the Gay Men’s Party (see page on Facebook or our agenda or the agenda MensGo). Free entry! Where? In the boudoir of the Baroness, of course!

The Evening will be the theme of “warm mist”.

The program being exclusively male, the famous go-go dancer Sebastian Deluxo – resident in RAIDD Bar and the new Ambassador of Scream Club Paris, along with DJ Vasco and minimalist rhythms to fill your ears.

The most beautiful attraction is undoubtedly the international MensGo gay social network, that will shine its five-star all night and distribute goodies to the most barely disciplined.

Good evening to all … and leave covered!

It's not the poster with the girl you have to look at! © RM Diffusion.

Gay Mec Party
(le 24 septembre 2011, à partir de 23 h 30)
Rue Rossi 3
1201 Pâquis
Genève (Suisse)

If you are able to go….then have a great time!

Matt & Philca / MensGo

Translated from our french site, the original article can be found here.