Real Men Real Life

A Vision of Men by John Orbit

[realmenreallife]

Please read and share this.

My friend Matthew Moody is trying to open Barracks Phoenix, a gay leather bar and community space in Phoenix’s Melrose District. Before the first drink has even been poured, he’s been dragged into an expensive fight over the liquor license.

This is bigger than one bar.

Queer spaces matter. Leather spaces matter. Places where gay men can gather, belong, flirt, dance, learn, cruise, laugh, and be fully ourselves matter.

If parking and sound are real concerns, address them. But wealthy neighbors should not be able to grind queer culture into dust because they are uncomfortable with who might walk through the door.

Read the article. Share it. Pay attention.

Barracks Phoenix deserves a chance to exist.

An Heir to the U-Haul Business Is Trying to Stop a Gay Leather Bar From Opening

Stuart Shoen says he's worried about parking and noise. Court filings from the bar's attorney suggest something else.

[realmenreallife]

Hiking with Keith at red rocks was incredibly hot! I had sweat dripping off my elbows as I held my camera up. Of course there’s more to be seen at real men real life dot com! 🔥🌞🔥

[realmenreallife]

I’ve loved social media ever since I first started posting my photography here. Without it, I never would have discovered just how large and loyal an audience my work could find.

But after more than two decades of photographing men, I always kept one dream in the back of my mind: someday, Real Men Real Life might finally have a working website of its own.

That day has arrived.

RealMenRealLife dot com is live, and it’s going to grow into a huge home for my work, with a tremendous amount of content and more than a few pleasant surprises.

Right now, we have one supporting membership tier: $15/month.

I hope you’ll join, support the work, and help me build the next chapter of Real Men Real Life.

I love you all very much. Thank you for supporting me all these years. ❤️

[realmenreallife]

Here’s some explosive news for you:

My friend Mike and I have been working hard behind the scenes, and Real Men Real Life dot com is finally working.

You can become a supporting member today.

[realmenreallife]

Shooting Brett outdoors, and remembering how very very brutal a Georgia summer can be! 🐻🌞🥵

[realmenreallife]

Come As You Are*

*Terms and conditions apply.

[realmenreallife]

My friend Paul took me to an amazing Italian restaurant on the upper west side. I love New York City! 🐻🍝🍷

[realmenreallife]

I ran into Papabear Scott in the middle of Pennsylvania for some reason. 🐻🔥🤷🏻‍♂️

[realmenreallife]

Even an Open Heart Might Need to Close a Door

When considering personal behavior, a good rule of thumb may be to ask yourself:

[realmenreallife]

Andy is the sweetest guy, and I love him. So I’ve decided he should probably adopt me. Here’s what I figure: since he’s such a nice guy he would be a good dad to me, then (ideally) I would be a good boy. Then, I’d always get everything on my Christmas list! 🎅🏻❤️🎁

[realmenreallife]

Things got real interesting at the Georgia Renaissance Festival today. 🔮

[realmenreallife]

I don’t like conflict.

I’m not much of a fan of pretend conflict either.

Who’s a better daddy? Norman or me?

Norman is.

To be fair he’s had a lot more practice at it.

Things can get strange when your platonic friend of 25 years “looks the part”. Norman absolutely does to me.

I took these shots when I had an eight-megapixel camera. The camera was a Sony F-828 and I loved it (still love it) and I used to begrudge its propensity to have purple fringing. But I don’t need to minimize the purple fringing for Norman, because his occasional purple halo reminds me of Olivia Newton-John’s purple halo in “Xanadu”.

Fitting.

Without Norman, RMRL would never have happened.

He preceded Phill.

So Norman wins the daddy contest that never was.

But even though Norman says he came up with it, I think I was the one who thought “The Heebie BeeGees” would be an amazing name for a band. (Maybe?)

Better than “Kathleen Turner Overdrive”? Possibly not.

But there are still times where I am certain he can read my mind. Full-on clairvoyant-like.

Man, that guy matters to me.

[realmenreallife]

Hello. I’m John Orbit.

I love “Enjoy the Silence”.

I have never enjoyed the silence.

I am enjoying the silence.

✨

[realmenreallife]

“What if I can work as myself this time?“

[realmenreallife]

I Am Turning Into Patrick Stewart.

Well, I’m 99.9% sure I am. Hear me out.

[realmenreallife]

😊

[realmenreallife]

You don’t get to see a live onstage version of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse“ every day! (This was momentous enough to take Tinky Winky out). And, in fact, we did NOT see that. What we saw was puppeteers on a stage talking with puppeteers across the country on Zoom. Which was actually interesting as these are talented artists that deserve their due respect. But it wasn’t quite what we expected. Anyway, we got to see the Center For Puppetry Arts, we saw Globey, and a large assortment of haunted puppets that could each keep the “Conjuring” franchise alive.