Guys4Men is perhaps the most subscribed to and most frequented online social networking site for gay men here in the Philippines. Some of its members agree that there’s more to Guys4Men than just hooking up and getting laid. For them, guys4men is a site where they meet other gay men who share the same interests as they do, chat with other members, gawk and drool over pictures of half-naked men, sell miniature bahay-kubos, malign and make fun of the fruglies (freaking ugly, that is), or perhaps meet the elusive Mr. Right. (Wait a second, is Mr. Right the same guys as Prince Charming? He seems to be very elusive and every girl and gay guy is going leaps and bounds to meet him.)
To others though, this site is just a mere hookup venue . And we can’t blame them because some members actually prove this theory right. Some members even go to the extent of the unthinkable and go beyond just hooking up.
Upon logging in to our guys4men account today, this warning welcomed us:
We’re not talking about the Global Warming notice. The administrators of this website (thank heavens for their great efforts in maintaining this site!) has posted this warning because, we’re sure, they’re concerned about what could be a growing number of unreported crimes committed against gay men, by gay men. It is really appalling that some people of our kind go out of their way to hurt others just so they can fulfill their sick fantasies. This though, our dear non-homosexual friends, does not mean that all gay men are like these freaks. They are just the attention-craving minority of our marginalized LGBT society.
We are not posting this warning just so guys4men members can avoid that particular person, we are posting this as a reminder for all of us to be careful when we meet up with people we meet from the site. Here are some tips from the g4m webmasters:
guys4men is here to help you have fun meeting and getting together with other guys! but whilst 99.9% of the guys on here are honest and decent people, please remember there is always a risk when meeting someone you have never met before that their intentions are not what they seem. to keep your fun safe, please bear in mind the following points when meeting up with a guy for the first time:
- never give him your home address before you have met him
- think twice about giving someone your phone number - especially in countries where gay sex is illegal (the police can use it to get your address)
- before going on an internet date, tell a friend where you are going and what site you met the guy on
- always arrange to meet in a neutral, public space where there are plenty of other people. a cafe or bar is ideal!
- only invite him back to your home (or go somewhere private with him) when you have spent enough time with him to be sure of his intentions
- always break off the date if you have a “sixth sense” telling you that something is not quite right. even if this makes him angry, remember that it is always your right to do this!
So be safe and always remember that Sean Cody, Corbin Fisher, Blake Mason and Randy Blue, or the local Binatang Pinoy, and Kuwentong Kalibugan, can sometimes be better options to get off. You have always have a choice. Whatever decisions you make, be sure to keep it safe — sexually and otherwise.
And please, don’t even bother buying miniature bahay-kubos!
