“I first heard of the CMG in 1993. A good friend of mine pitched it to me, and it took him 13 years of selling it to me to finally go. I decided to register for the Spring Gathering in 2006, after moving to LA from the Bay Area a few months beforehand. I felt at home in the CMG community, so much so that I ended up joining the planning committee the following year and have been volunteering ever since. This was a game changer for me. My only regret was taking 13 years to attend!”
~ Michael Kramer
“Binky’s List”
| California Men’s Gatherings presents . . . | ||
| May 1, 2019 Volume 12, Issue 5 | ||
 |
Binky’s List CMG Community News, Events of Interest, & Marketplace Classifieds |
|
| Welcome to Binky’s List, CMG’s very own community news publication, named in honor of one of our most beloved elders, Al-Binky Hoch. _______________________________________________________ Did you ever wish you could use the CMG email list to tell everyone about anything you wanted? Well that is EXACTLY what this newsletter is for. It’s NOT for CMG events. It’s for everything else. So send us your own items: News, events of interest in your area, items for sale, apartments for rent, jobs wanted, personals, community links, etc., by clicking here. _______________________________________________________ CMG does not necessarily endorse the events or organizations listed here, nor guarantee the quality of the goods/services offered. |
CMG Website CMG Gatherings CMG Local Events Contact CMG  ************** Join our Mailing List! |
|
| Quote of the Month | ||
| Authenticity is simply the soul made visible. Lisa Jaffe |
||
| Events & Items of Interest | ||
|
Rear Opening (Los Angeles)
|
||
| CMG Marketplace – Part 1 | ||
|
|
||
| Did You Know . . . ? | ||
 Mourning My Childhood Bully: He Teased Me for Being Gay—Now He’s Dead When my mother told me of Dan’s death, I felt a pang of unexpected sadness, but for different reasons than his loved ones. by David Toussaint 2/5/2019Dan’s obituary was simple and lovely: a tiny photo accompanied by a mention of the job he held for over two decades, a wife who he’d been married to for almost as many years, his love of sports, his active involvement in the local church, a young son.There was no mention of the kid he used to traumatize. Me.He’s holding some sort of award in the photo (yet another accomplishment in a list that started in elementary school), and, like so many of the popular, athletic kids I grew up with, was now paunchy and overweight. If I’d not known it was him from the caption, I would have only recognized the eyes, those twinkling brown pupils that captured the hearts of girls and filled me with terror every time they stared me down.I met Dan in kindergarten, and he came to either my first or second grade birthday party. We started out as friends and I still remember laughing with him. He was kind of a dork like me. His family lived two blocks away in our suburban, northern California town, and they were known to be strict and conservative. They had one of the few two-story houses in the neighborhood, which loomed over all the others.By the time we reached seventh grade, our worlds had changed. We both started junior high together, but, while Dan had prematurely transformed into a muscular jock, I was overweight and unpopular, devoid of athletic skills, and teased for being feminine. Our differences came to head in the one class we had together: P.E.…The rest of this article: http://www.newnownext.com/gay-bully-dead/02/2019/ |
||
| CMG Marketplace – Part 2 | ||
|
|
||
| Links of Interest | ||
| LGBT Social & Recreational Organizations CMG (California Men’s Gatherings) OUT4FUN (Gay Calendar of Events) SAGA-LA (Los Angeles Gay Ski & Snowboard Club) SAGA-SD (San Diego Gay Ski & Snowboard Club) Great Outdoors APGF (Asian/Pacific Gays & Friends) POZabilities (San Diego Social Network) GLTA (Gay & Lesbian Tennis Association) IGBO (International Gay Bowling Organization) IAGSDC (International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs) Fun and Games Club Arriba (Ski & Snowboard Club for Gays & Lesbians) LA Blades Hockey Club Gay Outdoors LANG (Los Angeles Nude Guys) CMEN (California Men Enjoying Naturism) BA-MEN (Beach Areas Men Enjoying Naturism – for O.C., Long Beach, & South Bay) Asian Pacific Islander Pride Council (Facebook Page) Satrang (South Asian Queers of Southern California) Avatar Bienestar Black & White Men Together (Southern California) FaeLA (radical Faeries Los Angeles) Menstuff Menstuff Events Calendar So CA Bondage Club East Bay Network Men’s Massage Network (Los Angeles) Southern California Gay & Lesbian Club (and Friends!) Southern California Cycling Group The Billys Gaysurfers.net CalComMen Unusual Attitudes Jonathan’s Circle (Fresno) MAX (San Francisco) Gay Elder Circle (Los Angeles)Community Organizations Los Angeles LGBT Center San Francisco LGBT Community Center Oakland LGBT Community Center San Diego LGBT Community Center Sacramento LGBT Center Palm Springs LGBT Center Antelope Valley OUTtreach Center LA LGBT Center Social Services & Housing AIDS Project LA Shanti Orange County Lifeworks Mentoring Project Angel Food Project Chicken Soup (Los Angeles County) Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic SCA (Sexual Compulsives Anonymous) L.A. Youth Supportive Services (Teen and Young Adult Hotline) Southern Oregon Pride Lotus Rising Project Pacific Center (Berkeley) Red Circle Project One (National Gay and Lesbian Archives) Pop Luck Club Trevor Project L.A. County 211 Mankind Project Los Angeles Mankind Project San Diego The Discovery Community (Bay Area) Gay For Good Starland Community HSD (Homeless Shelters) UCSF Alliance Health Project (San Francisco) The Lavender Effect North County LGBTQ Resource Center (Oceanside) HIV Long-term Survivors Outfest Wildwood RetreatPolitical Organizations Equality California Human Rights Campaign Stonewall Democrats (Los Angeles) Log Cabin RepublicansMiscellaneous Organizations & Listings Gay Business Directory (LGBT Yellow Pages) Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (L.A.) |
||
|
We told you Binky’s List would be fun, informative… even helpful! Stay in touch, CMG Hugs |
||
| CMG | 1049 Havenhurst Drive #123 | West Hollywood | CA | 90046 | ||
A Passing to Note
Let Love Flourish
Bowling (Los Angeles)
Confused by Technology? (Los Angeles)
Freshen Your Photo (statewide)
Sensual Massage by Tall, Bearish, Nurturing Man (Los Angeles)
BA-MEN (So Cal)
Testamonial
A note from Marco about his first gathering:
“I was hesitant to sign up for the event because I have always seen CMG events but I did not know anyone who went. Once I signed up, I felt relieved because I was assigned a buddy. Andy, my buddy, literally went through a checklist of everything that I needed. We talked right up to the minute before I got on the road to get to the camp.
I felt so uncomfortable at first because I didn’t know anyone, but the guys at check-in helped me feel comfortable. I felt so welcomed. Then I made friends with my bunkmates. We shared meals throughout the whole weekend. The Men of Color Breakfast was very stimulating. I made some good friends.
My favorite events were the community assemblies and the bonfire. I had some really great heart to heart conversations under the stars with some of the men I met. It was awesome! At the end of the weekend, I attended the newcomers’ debrief. I felt so moved to help that I decided I wanted to be more involved in the group.
Now I’m on the Planning Committee for the gathering that starts in just a few weeks (May 24th, Memorial Day Weekend). It’s been great being on the team. I’m getting to know the great men who are working together to invent a weekend that will include something for everyone. If you’ve been thinking about coming but haven’t decided, just go for it! It would be nice to meet you and I’d love to meet you there!”
~ Marco Ramirez
Testamonial
A note from Jack about his first gathering:
I’ve always been somewhat of an introvert. The type of guy that has a handful of very close friends rather than tons of friends that are just more of an acquaintance. Like most people, as I got older and life became busier, I found it harder and harder to make new friends. This was fine, as I had my small group of friends that really were amazing. That is until I found myself needing to relocate for work.
My partner and I found ourselves in a new city, where we knew no one. My partner and I worked very different schedules (I had a typical Monday through Friday 7-3 job, he worked evenings, nights and weekends). I found myself with a LOT of free time with nothing to do. I was starting to feel more and more disconnected, and feeling very lonely. To add to my feeling of being disconnected, I work from home 4 days a week, so my opportunities to go out and meet new people were very limited.
I remembered seeing a booth for CMG at San Diego pride several years earlier. Now thinking I need to do something to meet new people and feel more connected with other like-minded men, I did a quick Google search for their website. I discovered they had a Gathering coming up soon and decided to attend.
I attended my first CMG Spring Gathering in 2017. I know it might seem cliché, but I was hooked. Honestly, knowing me, and my personality, I did not have high hopes, but opened my mind and decided to give it a shot and try to make the best of it. I decided not only would I attend, but I would also volunteer to help set up camp. I arrived early and started to feel the nerves of facing something unknown bubbling to the surface. I gave myself a quick pep talk, and went for it.
I was immediately greeted by friendly faces that made me feel so welcome. This was something that happened throughout the weekend. Everywhere I turned, there was someone looking to get to know me. The feeling I felt throughout the weekend is a bit indescribable… the closest I can come is just “joy.” Every aspect of this weekend just brought complete joy to my life. I left camp forever changed by my experiences. I had made some amazing new friends and acquaintances, had some incredible experiences and returned home feeling happy and centered for the first time in a long time. My partner even remarked several times about how much happier I seemed. I had such a transformative experience at that gathering that before I left, I expressed my desire to volunteer for the next Spring Gathering Committee – and here I am!
We ALL need to feel connected. That connection with our fellow man is sadly missing from most of our lives. I managed to build some incredible connections with some amazing men at the last spring gathering, and THAT is what THIS gathering is all about CONNECTING HEART TO HEART.
If you are looking for a deep, meaningful, cerebral experience where you get to explore yourself and your emotions in a safe, supportive environment, then THIS gathering is for YOU. If your idea of connecting is a fun weekend at camp, with a group of incredible men taking in the beautiful mountain surroundings, then this gathering is ALSO for YOU! This gathering is all about making those connections that we want and need in whichever way you see fit!!
If you are finding yourself on the fence about attending, whether this would be your 1st or 91st gathering, I would strongly urge you to take a chance – like I did. There is something to be found for everyone, and you may just finish the weekend with a whole new outlook. At the very least, you will leave with an incredible sense of connection.
If you have ANY questions whatsoever, please feel free to reach out at any time!
Hugs, Jack Lanzillo
Great Spring 91 Gathering
We had a wonderful weekend at camp Pathfinder this time around. Campfire with Smores and weekdays and assemblies. Looking forward to Summer at our new site. Check out the landing page for more information under gatherings section.
Photos by Larry Geller:
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Next Page »