Mancaves among the straight set are rising in popularity. Visit any of your breeder buddies’ homes and there’s likely a space dedicated to his machismo—a room full of gadgets and gizmos that qualify his existence as a game-loving, beer-swilling, ball-scratching hetero. But such luxuries aren’t limited to guys who like girls. Gays, too, can have sweet, state-of-the-art sanctuaries that allow us to slip away from the endless nagging that comes with cohabitation.

And you just know we can do it better.

To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of essential items that every modern homo hideaway must have. Because in this day and age it’s not enough to keep up with the Joneses—you’ve gotta out do them. You got the skinny on the...

 Mancaves among the straight set are rising in popularity. Visit any of your breeder buddies’ homes and there’s likely a space dedicated to his machismo—a room full of gadgets and gizmos that qualify his existence as a game-loving, beer-swilling, ball-scratching hetero. But such luxuries aren’t limited to guys who like girls. Gays, too, can have sweet, state-of-the-art sanctuaries that allow us to slip away from the endless nagging that comes with cohabitation.

And you just know we can do it better.

It’s rare when a fellow gay gives us a run for our sass, but ever since actor Brian Gallivan's Sassy Gay Friend went viral (in the good way), our snark has been on the lam. Sassy Gay Friend, a cheeky character created by the adept and uproarious Second City cast-member, has come to the aid of not only classic luminaries of cherished parables passed down through the ages, but, in recent segments, to pedestrians on the street burdened with concern over today’s hottest pop culture topics. Instinct was in need of some Sassy Gay Friendliness, so we sat down with Brian to see if he can help transforum us into saucy sages (and to find out about that MiO stuff).

Follow the jump to read Instinct's web exclusive interview with Brian Gallivan!

Dubbed "the boy Robyn in all but name," out pop artist Bright Light Bright Light will be everywhere come the end of summer. Get to know him before everyone else does with a intimate interview and exclusive to Instinct downloadable mix, after the jump...

It can’t be easy being a scene-stealer when you’re on a show full of Broadway stars, revolutionary comedians and plenty of divas. But April Bowlby has managed to become our newest reason for loving Drop Dead Diva with her turn as the ditzy-yet-oddly-relatable Stacy Barrett. And with Season 3 of the Lifetime hit set to premiere this June, April’s spilling secrets from the set and dishing on which of her famous TV boyfriends is her fave.

Last week, on Harvey Milk Day nonetheless, Oscar-winning filmmaker Dustin Lance Black announced the Testimony video contest, a project that harnesses his prolific talent to share the stories of everyday LGBTQ people with reaches of the country generally unexposed to our struggles. We had to learn more about Testimony, so we asked the artistic activist to share with Instinct more details about the project.

Follow the jump to see what Dustin Lance Black has to say to Instinct about Testimony!

In the June/July issue of Instinct, we followed along as marketing maven Peter and (too-hot-for-teacher) Carl got a glimpse into their futures and then hit up some delicious Kyotofu. But was either guy left dreaming of a date #2? Let's find out:

Steve Harris doesn’t want to pass the buck, he wants to save you a buck! There have been other similar programs in the past, but Steve-O (as he’s known to friends) thinks he’s created a loyalty rewards program that will unite all LGBT consumers for the good of the community.

INSTINCT: Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to create Diversity Platinum.

STEVE HARRIS: I have been an activist in the LGBT community for the past 25 years.  After seeing not only the straight businesses suffering but the gay-owned businesses suffering with the downfall of the economy, I decided I had to do something for the businesses, the community and the charities that were also affected by the financial crunch. So Diversity Platinum...

With “California Gays,” Ryan James Yezak turned the gay-music-video-parody Internet meme into a bona-fide institution. Now, as the leading auteur in the genre (with tens of millions of hits accrued to his YouTube channel and growing), the media superstar chats with Instinct about the pressure to remain on top, his all-time favorite music-video, his critics, and more. Follow the jump to read Instinct’s web-exclusive interview with the leading video-maker and check out “The Only Gay In The World” premiere!

And off go the shirts! (It is going to be a hot one, after all...) In our May Home section, we gave you the tips and tools to bring your favorite parts of indoor entertaining outside for the season. And as promised, we’re not done hooking up your summer soirée just yet!