by Karen Ocamb

Before the crazy cat-nip of spring sets in, before the next phase of parties and Pride plunges the LGBT community into a frenzy of unconscious pleasure, it’s wise to take a time out, a pause in the whirlwind of daily life, to reflect on what it means to be gay and explore the possibilities of gay identity for the future.

On Saturday, April 19, the city of West Hollywood hosts the Gay Men’s Forum: The Body and Soul of the Community, a daylong interactive event centered around the theme “Where We’ve Been. Where We Are. Where We’re Heading.”

Though the forum is expected to touch upon the crystal meth epidemic in the gay community and the precipitous rise in HIV and STDS infections, the intention is also to consider the broader philosophical, spiritual and practical scope of gay male life.

“Gay men occasionally need to step out of the LGBT space and focus on the needs of the gay male community,” West Hollywood Mayor John Duran told IN Los Angeles magazine. “We have transitioned from dark smoky bars through sexual liberation [and] an epidemic into weddings and family planning. It’s important to stop, reflect and think ahead.”

Opening the forum and setting the stage for a safe space to explore gay identity are nationally renowned legends and heroes of the gay rights and AIDS movements, Dr. Don Kilhefner, co-founder of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the Radical Faeries, and Phill Wilson, founder and executive director of the Black AIDS Institute.

The Gay Men’s Forum, city organizers say, “will also feature panels focusing on complexity and diversity in gay life; hot sex/real intimacy; the importance of creativity and culture in the gay community; and a discussion on gay affirmative psychology that will explore who we are as gay people.”

“We, as gay men, need to make better decisions about taking care of ourselves,” Hernan Molina, Duran’s deputy, told IN. “This is not limited to healthcare, but also taking actions to protect our rights, to come together as a community and not just to come together for a party. We also need to get people, young and old, in a room together and get them activated to fight the anti-marriage initiative,” which the religious right is expected to successfully place on the ballot for the November election.

The Gay Men’s Forum will take place on Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Fiesta Hall at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., in West Hollywood.

To RSVP for the free event, call (323) 848-6381 or visit www.weho.org/gmf. For more information, contact Corey Roskin, Hernan Molina or Larissa Fooks at (323) 848-6460. For the deaf and hard of hearing, call (323) 848-6496.