If you think gay massage therapists cater only to gay men, think again.

Massage therapy and its lasting benefits to the human body have been around for millennia. So it comes as no surprise to find the popularity of massage therapy at an all-time high, due in part to more serious attention offered from the medical field and the accolades subsequently awarded.

What may surprise you, however, is finding a new resurgence of massage therapists emerging from the gay community, and they mean business. On a playing field where massage therapy has moved up in rank as reputable business, openly gay men are standing front and center, replete and registered with certifications and licensing befitting serious businessmen. Sore-muscled people from all walks of life are touting the benefits of using a gay massage therapist, and their voices are getting louder. Sound intriguing? Keep reading.

Forget any negative notions about the ‘gay’ aspect of it, especially if you are a straight man prone to homophobic angst. Free yourself from that out-dated fear and commit this to memory: Gay massage therapy is not synonymous with gay sex. Gay men daily roam the world of free enterprise where sexual orientation is about as important as eye-color.

Men get massages from other men all the time without fear of the situation remotely bordering on the sexual. And why not? Any ethic-minded masseur establishes this at some point: Massage therapy is not sex therapy—gay or straight. Straight men have benefited from safe and rewarding massages under the healing care of gay men and never know it. Or, as in some cultures, maybe they did and still do and couldn’t care less. Either way, the experience was no less rewarding.

Some women actually seek out a gay masseur. Perhaps it is the allure of a male therapist that draws them. These women want an environment where they can experience a safe, non-sexual, and rewarding massage from a man—just like the straight guys. Who could be more ideal than a gay masseur?

Answer: Probably no one. Why not a masseuse or straight masseur? Again, comfort level. Some women insist on a gay masseur. Reason? He seems more in tune with nurturing. In which case, some female clients leave a lot of poor body-image baggage outside the door than if they were receiving a massage from anyone else. With an openly gay masseur, a woman may lower her shackles of unhealthy inhibitions enough to consider a clothing-optional massage. Lying undraped, her massage experience becomes far more rewarding. And yes—I repeat—safe.

One may ponder: So, a gay masseur is just another masseur?

Well, not so much, and that’s good news for you.

Stereotypes ignored, why not consider there’s truth in that gay men may typically be more sensitive to the needs of others around him? In the case of providing a beneficial massage, healing power of touch for him may seem more intuitive than learned. But don’t be fooled. A gay masseur won’t pull any punches when it comes to searching out that shoulder-clenching angst and go to town, knuckles and all.

Massage therapy in the fullest of holistic approaches offers more benefits for a client comfortable enough to lie completing unclothed, with or without a thin sheet of drapery for warmth and basic human sense of security. This is not about exhibitionism; it is about removing any inconvenience separating sore muscles from trained hands.

Basically, just go with it. Relax and note if the massage space is intimate, allowing more thoughtfulness to mood-enhancing details. Or maybe the wall color is serene in candlelight, and soft music clears the mind. Suddenly, your weary soul lies in wait for more than just oil being kneaded into the valley of a sore back. Your soul wants let loose with no boundary, and it’s long overdue.

Ah, Massage Utopia, you imagine. Why, professional massage therapist’s world-over must be setting these same stress-allaying stations, right? Wrong. Especially when it comes to corporate massage business.

Few people know pro masseurs—gay or straight—employed with name-brand gyms and uber spas must follow strict guidelines. Who hasn’t walked away from such places feeling incomplete, if you felt much at all? Ok, perhaps it felt “nice”, but it certainly wasn’t memorable. Maybe the ambience was sterile, if it existed at all. Maybe the session felt rushed. Maybe massage sans attire was prohibited, thanks to Big Business imposed regulations guaranteeing a mediocre experience.

But forget all that. You have now been enlightened to a better alternative—your gay masseur in his privately owned practice. If you don’t find ‘Gay Masseur’ listed in the Yellow Pages, or if you’re pretty certain he isn’t living next door, then your best (and guaranteed bet) is accessing the Internet.

Through specific web sites such as FindAMasseur.com, you are almost certain to find one within a short drive. But even if the drive is farther than you thought, don’t give up. These gay-thus-cooler masseurs are coming closer to home sooner than you think. What we consider the benefits of the big city are starting to spread into smaller communities. And openly gay massage therapists are right in the charge.

Once you find your fantastic gay masseur you’ve frantically searched for, complete with a privately owned practice, you’re in for a stress-wringing treat. You’ll see why his carefully assembled environ of serene warmth will provide a place so safe, you’re likely to visit that astral plane au naturel. With fewer restrictions, making such a request will feel, well, perfectly natural.

Let’s face it; draping the human form is definitely high art when it comes to a classical Greek sculpture. But not so much when you crave the royal treatment of massage therapy happily attended by an openly gay massage therapist. After all, clothed and draped during a massage is like sunbathing in a parka.

Author's Bio: 

Joseph Holmes, A freelance writer of more than twenty years, is currently a staff writer for FindAMasseur.com. He grew up in the rural Deep South of the Mississippi Delta. Somewhere along the way, he acquired a couple of degrees from Louisiana State University. He thinks they're in a box in the attic.