physical touch Archives • Your Other Brothers

Straight Men are Scary

by Thomas Mark Zuniga | Jul 31, 2019 | Lifestories | 32

Straight men have always been scary. They’ve long been “the other,” going all the way back to first grade. We may not share the same tastes for sports and media consumption, but we still share a common masculine heart. One fraught with hauntingly familiar masculine thorns.

Is Being “Side B” Just Internalized Homophobia?

by Eugene Heffron | Jul 23, 2019 | Lifestories | 27

Do I live the way I live purely because of the way I was raised? Do I still harbor any internalized homophobia of myself and others? Is that why I’m “Side B”? Is this all coming from a place of pious self-righteousness?

The Father of My Dreams

by Dean Samuels | Jul 9, 2019 | Lifestories | 9

The morning after, I processed this dream over and over. This “dad of my dreams” was unlike my dad of reality. He was affectionate and involved. He helped me — didn’t just tell me to fix whatever was wrong. And he stayed with me.

Sharing My Story at a Church for the First Time?

by Daniel Marquez | Jun 28, 2019 | Lifestories | 10

The Sunday service started, and I was excited to speak. I’d been praying for this moment for quite a while now — I was about to give my testimony in front of a whole church. The service started, and two songs into worship I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the pastor, and he was motioning me back to his office…

Please Don’t Let Our Second YOBBERS Retreat Suck

by YOB | May 28, 2019 | Conversations | 13

We recently held our second annual YOBBERS retreat: a weekend gathering for our financial supporters and community members on Patreon. Several of our authors attended, and we discussed our time together — both highs and lows — in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Why I Love “Band of Brothers”

by Eugene Heffron | Apr 30, 2019 | Musings | 19

I’m grateful “Band of Brothers” introduced me to the concept of true brotherhood at a young age. Had I not seen it, I may have grown up thinking the only type of intimacy between people is sex. At long last, I feel like I have found my band of brothers here at YOB and in the “Side B” world at large: men who know me, love me, and will be there for me, even at the end.

YOBcast Episode 048: More Intimacy

by YOB | Apr 12, 2019 | Podcast | 17

What happens when intimacy with another fails to fulfill or runs out altogether? Can we ever ask for more intimacy? Can we trust again when intimacy is lost? Join Tom, Ryan, and Jacob in the second of our two-part discussion on intimacy. We share more of our most meaningful intimacy stories, including how one particular moment with Ryan and Jacob is one for Tom’s intimacy “trophy case.”

The Hidden Blessings of Our Sexualities

by Eugene Heffron | Mar 26, 2019 | Musings | 30

I’ve been traveling and meeting so many other likeminded gay or same-sex attracted (SSA) individuals for the past few years. In my many interactions, I’ve picked up on so many commonalities. I have rediscovered the age-old truth that God can take the seemingly darkest, hardest things in our lives and use them for something incredibly good.

YOBcast Episode 047: Intimacy

by YOB | Mar 15, 2019 | Podcast | 12

Intimacy is scary, and intimacy is vulnerable. Intimacy can be shared or rejected. Intimacy is special and sacred, and intimacy is everyday. Intimacy is sexual and emotional, physical and spiritual. Join Tom, Ryan, and Jacob in the first of a two-part deep dive into intimacy. The brothers define intimacy, likening it to a fire, discussing the differences and nuances between intimacy and vulnerability. They also talk about their first forays into intimacy many years ago and what the cornerstone of their most intimate relationships has been.

Sobering and Necessary: Our Response to “Boy Erased”

by YOB | Feb 26, 2019 | Conversations, Popular | 52

Several of our featured authors watched the film, Boy Erased. It’s based on the real-life story of Garrard Conley who wrote a memoir of the same name. Boy Erased follows a young man’s journey through reparative or conversion therapy, and it’s also a story of a mother’s and father’s relationships with their gay son. It’s a heavy film, and we debriefed it together in this extensive conversation.