YOUR TOP 10 FEATURE ARTICLES OF 2012

The past year saw you devouring stories about barebacking, being ‘fat and fem’, and efforts to erode our rights, as well as interviews with Rowen Bailey (SA’s very own gay porn star), Mr. Gay World 2012 and pop sensation Toya Delazy.

Here are your 10 most-read feature articles of 2012.

10. BAREBACK PORN: FANTASY OR RISK? – 23 February 2012

It’s a business strategy that dates back to as far as 1871. Let’s face it sex sells! Sexual or erotic imagery are very persuasive tools to sell products in an extremely competitive, money driven, world market. Music videos, TV programs, magazines and movies: popular culture thrives on boosting sales with sex. Porn on the other hand pretty much sells itself.
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9. AFRICA’S FIRST GAY POLITICAL PARTY LAUNCHED – 26 June 2012

An LGBTI political party has been launched in South Africa, the first in Africa. While critics say it may have good intentions, they question if it can work or even secure a single seat in parliament. It’s not a world first; a handful of LGBTI political parties have had limited success internationally. (Note: Since its launch, very little has been heard from the party.)
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8. NO FATS, NO FEMS – 3 May 2012

Having been a seven-year-old soprano-singing, tap dancing little boy, I have always felt a little ‘out’. Needless to say, blending into the background wasn’t my forte. I do, however, excel at being gay. I have been called a moffie, fag and girlie, amongst others, since pre-school so naturally someone making a point of my ‘otherness’ became a great fear of mine.
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7. INTERVIEW WITH ANDY DERLETH: MR. GAY WORLD 2012 – 24 April 2012

Anyone who was involved with the recent Mr. Gay World contest, or attended the Grand Finale in Johannesburg, couldn’t have missed the “gentle giant” with the Arnold Schwarzenegger accent. Although German-born, the 32-year-old Andreas Derleth represented his current home of New Zealand where he lives with his civil union partner.
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6. GAY MURDERS: TIPS FOR SAFER CRUISING – 8 February 2012

The recent murders of at least seven gay men in Gauteng have highlighted the reality that casual sex may not just be risky when it comes to diseases and viruses, but also to your immediate physical safety, reputation and well-being. While there’s no firm evidence, it has been suggested that at least some of the murdered men might have met their killers through online dating sites. (Note: Towards the end of 2012, police finally made some headway in the gay murder cases.)
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5. DEMAND JUSTICE FOR NEW GAY MURDER VICTIM – 19 January 2012

A new, mysterious and brutal murder of a well-known gay man in Gauteng has come to light, with friends and family demanding that action be taken to ensure that justice is done. The killing of 39-year-old activist and television presenter Jason Wessenaar is similar to a spate of unsolved murders of gay men in the past two years in the region.
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4. A CONVENT GIRL ON THE DANCE FLOOR: INTERVIEW WITH TOYA DELAZY – 23 January 2012

Seemingly coming out of nowhere with Pump It On, singer-songwriter Toya Delazy has given us one of the summer’s biggest smash tracks. Its world-class beats, catchy melody and heartfelt vocals make for an infectious dance floor stomper that just won’t go away.
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3. EDITORIAL: BE PREPARED TO FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS – 3 May 2012

We are under attack, in what is possibly the most serious threat to the LGBT community in our democracy’s history. South Africa’s traditional leaders are making  a concerted effort to reverse the right to equality guaranteed to gays and lesbians under the Constitution. This alarming assault on our rights – primarily from the archaic Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) – comes on two fronts. (Note: Ultimately, the call to change the Constitution fell flat while the Traditional Courts Bill remains on the cards.)
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2. INTERVIEW WITH ROWEN BAILEY: PORN THIS WAY – 25 July 2012
 
Twenty-four-year-old Joburger Rowen Bailey is on his way to becoming South Africa’s very own international gay porn star. Since last year, he’s made four videos for top studios including Lucas Entertainment, Fresh SX and UK Naked Men. Contrary to the cliché of taking to porn out of financial desperation, Rowen got into the business quite simply because he thought it would be a blast to make his fantasy come true.
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1. MEET THE MR. GAY WORLD FINALISTS – 19 March 2012

Lock up your boyfriends! Look who’s coming to town… Meet the cute, sexy and intelligent guys from 24 countries visiting Joburg this April as finalists in the Mr. Gay World 2012 contest. They’ll be in South Africa from the 4th to the 10th of April for judging, competing in various events and, finally, appearing on stage for the Grand Finale on 8 April when Mr. Gay World 2012 will be crowned. (Note: The event saw Andreas Derleth from New Zealand taking the title.)
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