The Love Yourself Cafe

http://manilagayguy.net/2012/02/05/update-the-love-yourself-cafe-on-friendship-and-love/

 I just got home from attending the 2nd gathering of the Love Yourself Cafe. I learned about it from the blogs of Miggs, Mcvie, and CC. I've been following their blogs for several years and it's party because of reading their blogs that I started a blog of my own (of course I've always run out of things to post about so I just read most of the time). They are also some of the core members of the fabcasters who have produce podcasts tackling different topics relating to men.

The Love Yourself campaign started out as a HIV awareness program. If I heard correctly, it was Miggs who came out with the idea of starting the Love Yourself Cafe with the purpose of providing a venue where people like me could gather together and discuss issues without fear of being discriminated, judged or ostracized. They had their first gathering a few months back which, unfortunately, I didn't really pay much attention to. It was when I read the feedback that I regretted not registering to join. Luckily I was able to join this time.

The topic was Friendship and Love Among Men and I'll blog about that sometime. I think it's great that someone is actually doing something and not just talking about rights, equality, acceptance… If only there was such a campaign when I was younger. The HIV education, rights advocacy, gay marriage, equality in the workplace, no descrimation, etc. are all nice and good. But what they are addressing with the LYC is something which I think is more important and yet so basic that it is almost always overlooked - that's the need to know you're not alone, and the need to belong.

And as a bonus (maybe the real reason I went) was I finally got to meet the authors behind the blogs I follow and some of those behind the blogs I will be following from now on :)