The Guide is a monthly magazine published for gay men that gives a bit more edge than many other gay lifestyle magazines. Geared towards average guys The Guide has everything you would expect to find in a magazine but in a more hip and edgy format. It’s not for everyone, especially devotees of magazines like Out, but most people should find something of interest in an issue.
Details
Published 12 times a year, each issue of The Guide contains:
Editorial: Your typical editorial from the magazine editor. These editorials can vary tremendously from issue to issue. The most current issue considers the issues of justice when applied to heterosexual and homosexual teenagers. Usually well written, the Editorial is something I enjoy in each issue.
Letters: You can’t get much more generic when it comes to magazine formats, but this is where readers get a chance to be heard.
News Slant: Generally two or three different stories on various current topics in the news. Recent topics have included the results of a study on penis size and another on age-of-consent laws and their impacts to gay and lesbian teenagers. These stories are generally shorter than what you will find in the articles section and generally reference recent events and stories that have been in the news.
Articles: The meat of the magazine, the articles section contains several major stories that make up the magazine and are on various topics each issue. This is generally where you will find the cover stories and is also where you will find the longest articles in the magazine. Most readers will find something that interests them in this section, there have been stories on murder mysteries and wrongful imprisonment stories to articles regarding gay men’s health and lifestyles.
Speaking Out, Loose Lips, Dirty Dishes, and Common Sense are monthly editorial columns by different writers. Topics in the past have included all kinds of stories from commitment in relationships, to current political situations to hypocrisy that a writer is concerned about.
HIV Digest: For anyone living with HIV or who knows someone with HIV this section can be very helpful. News on therapy, developments in treatment, ideas for prevention and stories on some states/organizations reactions to HIV are all here and provide a fairly good monthly update on the world of HIV.
Queer n There: This section looks at various destinations or happenings in the queer world. Stories have included information on circuit parties, along with other destinations. The latest issue profiles the Black Party that happens in New York City.
Sex Histories: Humorous (and not some humorous) looks at sexual antics the world over.
Movie Reviews takes a look at mainstream movies that will be opening or have just open. Generally these are movies with some interest to the gay community and often are of independent films that many of us will have to wait for DVD release to catch. However, the section does provide a good review of the movie world and it is an interesting read.
Book Reviews looks at the latest gay writing available and each month reviews a book or two. The book reviews are accurate, well balanced and generally quite helpful for readers looking to expand the gay library.
Gay Video Reviews: Oh, it’s the dirty stuff. Several adult gay videos are reviewed each issue. You won’t find much beyond the video box’s cover shot for pictures, but there are graphic descriptions of what you’ll find in the video. Useful for those of us looking to expand our porn collections, this section is one that sets The Guide apart from other gay lifestyle magazines that stay away from outright sex discussions like the plague.
Advertising is scattered throughout the magazine and focused in the back of it like most other magazines. Advertising does not break up most of the stories and articles and the advertising itself runs the gamut from tame to wild.
The Guide has a full-service website at http://www.guidemag.com that provides several different layers of functionality. Anyone can read stories and articles from current and past issues, while registered users are also able to in message boards, and browse and post personal ads. There is also a full featured travel section that allows users to research and plan out vacations to many different locations.
Thoughts
Not a magazine I subscribe to, The Guide is one that I pick up every few months when a cover grabs my attention.
The price is a bit high for a monthly magazine and for most readers looking for something different from an Out Magazine or Genre, Instinct Magazine will be more than enough for them.
For those looking for something even more different and less mainstream, they would be well served with a subscription to The Guide. For the rest of us, pick up an issue here and there and see how it grabs you – you might be surprised and enjoy it.
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