Rooster's Nest Novelty Reunites Former Lovers With Mission to End Sex Toy Taboo and Support Denver's Gay Community

Founded by Kristopher Stringer-Shea and Donald Siegler, Rooster’s Nest Novelty is a gay-owned and operated online adult novelty store catering specifically to the LGBT community. 

“Rooster” is Kristopher Stringer-Shea. Cocky, confident, smart and not afraid to tell the world about the pleasures of sex, Shea runs the finance and accounting side of the business and wants to help people become comfortable talking about adult products. 

“Who are you kidding?” asks Shea. “Sometimes you just can’t get it. That’s where we come in.”  

Seigler once lived under a bridge in Little Rock, Arkansas. Against all odds, the troubled young man picked himself up off the ground, literally and figuratively, and not only received his bachelor’s degree but received his MBA from the University of Colorado. His business savvy and his expertise in website management completes the duo’s business partnership. 

The “Nest” in Rooster’s Nest refers to the home that Donald Seigler and Shea shared for seven years before ending their relationship but remaining friends.

After several years as marketing executive for a manufacturing company Seigler found himself, like millions of others, unemployed. Shea experienced a lay-off of his own late in 2013. The two began talking almost daily as a way to motivate each other. When Seigler interviewed for a marketing position at a sex toy distribution company, the pep talks became brain storming sessions and Rooster's Nest Novelty was hatched. 

In addition to their campaign against sex toy taboos, both men are committed to giving back to the gay community. “We want to do more than just sell sex toys,” says Shea. “We’re going to donate a percentage of our profits to nonprofit organizations that advocate and help our community.”

Among the LGBT nonprofits Rooster's Nest Novelty is currently sponsoring is The UP Foundation. The UP Foundation's mission is help combat HIV and other STDs through education and financial assistance.

MileHighGayGuy Partner Profile: Rooster's Nest Novelty, Denver's Gay-Owned and Operated Online Adult Store!

By Drew Wilson

Rooster’s Nest Novelty (site NSFW), a Denver-based, gay-owned and operated online sex store, opened for business in December of 2013. It's president Donnie Seigler, along with business partner Kristopher Stringer-Shea handling financials and accounting and boyfriend Jerret Stovall on social media (“Good boyfriend, cheap labor,” says Seigler), always wanted to start his own business and had always been interested in sex and sexuality so he decided to combine the two. 

Donnie Siegler's got his eye on the gay community

So far it’s been a winning combination. “We exceeded our sales goals for the first month, January, which is generally a very slow retail month. So we’re really off to a very good start,” says Seigler.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg as Seigler intends to ramp up Rooster's Nest Novelty's presence in Denver's gay community over coming months.  

“We have the gay community in mind first and foremost and we want to support local gay organizations and charities," says Seigler. "I’m meeting with several different people over the next few weeks to find out what they do for the community and when we make a decision as to which charity we will partner with, we will give a percentage of every sale we make on Rooster's Nest will to that charity to benefit the community."

And they've already got big plans for Denver PrideFest 2014. "We’re all set up for Pride," says Seigler. "I’m just figuring out how to decorate and what kind of samples we want to have there for people to play with. We’re going to bring tablets so that people can go online and place their orders. We’re going to have a lot of stuff out and open for people to enjoy. We’re going to do demonstrations and giveaways throughout both days. We’re very excited."
 
MileHighGayGuy readers should be excited by the opportunity to save 10 percent off all their Roster's Nest Novelty purchases for the next few months when they use the coupon code MILEHIGHGAYGUY. Just click their ad below and get busy. And speaking of getting busy, if you look closely you'll see that the couple kissing in the background of the ad is none other than Donnie and Jerret. How cute is that? 

You can click here to Like them on Facebook and here to follow them on Twitter. Be sure to check back often as new items are continually being added.

Says Seigler, “I’m still trying to get my head around how many toys and items there are out there. I'm definitely learning something new every day."

Denver Art Seen: Jesse Hernandez Photography

"The camera should be used for a recording of life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh." ~ Edward Weston

Jesse Hernandez

Jesse Hernandez has been photographing events, people, and architecture for over 25 years.  His published works have appeared in the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Out Front Colorado, The Aurora Sentinel and Westword.

 He offers a custom mix of traditional and modern styles to meet and exceed all needs for portfolio work, weddings and corporate images.  Jesse's passion for the art of photography is reflected in his work.

He is the staff photographer for Opera Colorado and his ongoing clients include Ignite Theater, The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, Children’s Hospital, Subaru, The Denver Hospice, Gravity Defied Theatre, Girls Incorporated, Bakery le Sensual, The Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire, The Rocky Mountain Arts Association, and numerous musicians, artists, corporations and individuals throughout the United States.

For more information visit his website www.JesseHernandezPhotos.com.

Each week Denver Art Seen will showcase the work of a Denver-based artist or photographer. To be featured on Denver Art Seen, email drewdenver@gmail.com.

Meet Thom Seehafer, MileHighGayGuy's newest blogger

Thom Seehafer

By Drew Wilson

Thom Seehafer is a businessman, bodybuilder, personal trainer and martial arts enthusiast in addition to being one of the newest MileHighGayGuy bloggers. Starting this Thursday, March 1, Thom will be writing about health and fitness and providing training tips and exercises in addition to healthy recipes and cooking ideas.

Says Seefhafer, "What makes me different in the personal training arena is that I don't just follow the standard exercises or routines.  I take the basic things and tweak it up. I always keep my clients guessing about what's coming next."

I had the chance to talk to Thom about his personal and professional interests including his experiences living in Colorado Springs, his 12 bodybuilding competitions, his many pets, and his favorite people, places, and things in Colorado.

Daniel and dogs

Drew: How long have you been in Colorado and what brought you here?
Thom: I will have lived in Colorado Springs for five years this October. I spent the first three years living in Woodland Park where I owned and operated Phoenix Tanning.  It was a tough business area in Woodland Park, so once I closed that business down, I started working down in the Springs. Eventually the 45 minute drive each way got tiresome so my partner Daniel and I found a nice rental in quiet little suburbia.

What originally brought me here was the chance meeting of my partner online. I was in North Carolina and he was here in Colorado. We started our chats early summer of 2007, which led to texting and hour-long chats at night.  We met physically at Raleigh Durham Airport on our way to St John USVI, I had invited him to take a vacation with me. In a short time, I sold my house in NC, he flew back from CO, we loaded up my Cherokee Jeep and five dogs, three cats, attached the 8X12 trailer and made the drive that I NEVER want to make again. But the journey was fun and easy and it made it clear to me that this was very right.

Colorado Springs has the reputation of being an unfriendly place for gays. What has been your experience with that?
The way I look at it, we are all here for one reason and that is to be happy and enjoy life.  If it's between man and woman, man and man, woman and woman, who cares?! When we first moved to Woodland Park, I didn't even give it a second thought, not that I ever did.  I worked in a restaurant and when they met my partner Daniel, he was welcomed just like any other customer who would walk through the door.  They was no labeling, or titles or any of the sort.  He was just a person, he was my partner and they know he made/makes me happy.

What is your opinion of the gay community in Colorado Springs? 
We are all people, God's creation in one form or another. The fact that I don't look or act the way you want me to is what gives us our individuality. Personally, I say live and let live! If you don't like me for one reason or another, there is plenty of space to walk around me, walk away from me or just plain ignore me. I don't care.

How and why did you get involved in bodybuilding?
I did my first competition in Virginia when I was 25 years old. Again, my philosophy is this, if you are interested in something or if you question something then try to find the answer to it.

So I just decided to do a contest to see what it was all about - bright lights, tiny suit, LOTS of energy. And it doesn't hurt that I am a BIT of an extrovert, so walking around on stage in front of people really wasn't so hard.

I have done about 12 contests or so and each has been fun and always a learning experience, but for me, the goal was more about me and what I can do to make myself healthier as opposed to getting the biggest trophy.

Winning first place, that's all fine and good, but should NOT be your primary focus. You get so much more out of this besides a trophy. You get confidence, you get pride, you get energy just by altering the looks of your body through the physical aspect of training and watching what you put in your body.

What it has shown me is how I can control my body's appearance through exercising, eating right, carbing up, or carbing down, depending on the case.  It has also made me a better cook because I now do more food preparation/making things from scratch as opposed to box mixes.

How and why did you get involved in martial arts?

I got started because it allowed me to be productive with my life (at a very difficult time) as opposed to being destructive with my life.  It was another way to develop my body and mind, outside of the gym environment.  I have studied Shotokan karate (very classical forms), I am studying American Kenpo (much more using friendly in today's world) and just adding to my repertoire, the teachings of Wing Chun. Why so much?  It's all about the learning and they go hand-in-hand. You can never have too much knowledge and the martial arts really allows you to think, be creative, develop yourself and really go outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself.  It has helped me through many battles of my life. It has given me understanding, energy, composure, and the ability to see the good and the bad - and then focus on the good. I have passed my knowledge onto others and it really is quite a trophy when you see someone training another person and they are quoting the messages that you said to them, way back when.  Martial arts is NOT all about learning how to fight and beat up somebody, but it does instill the confidence in you so that you are capable to handle pretty much any situation your life can throw at you and come out on the other side, pretty much a winner.

What is the best piece of relationship advice you know?
Communicate, don't hold things in. Nothing ever gets accomplished when you allow a boil to fester.  Talking allows it all to be exposed and then from there, you move forward.

What are some of your favorite people/places/things in Colorado?
Favorite places for me would be the restaurants and the parks here in Colorado. So many.

I have to say there is only one favorite "people" in my life and it's my partner, Daniel. I have many good friends and acquaintances, but feel blessed to have my one favorite person.

My favorite things in Colorado are sort of synonymous with favorite places. I like walking through Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City, and even walking downtown Colorado Springs either on a snowy night or a full moonlit night.

When was the last time your were shirtless in public?
Oh hell, I will do that any chance I get. But I don't get too carried away. A tank top usually shows off a far amount of physique, but I probably should go shirtless a little more to keep up my overall tan. I can do shirtless really, really easily.

How and when did you come out?
There was no big celebration. We sent out a Christmas card photo the first year we were together, and whether people heard my voice on the phone and saw my bright smile in a photo, they knew I was happy so the fact that I was in love with another man really didnt mean squat to them. They saw and heard me and they knew I was happy.

What's your favorite food/book/TV show?
Love sushi and chocolates, and they can be eaten separately and also together. My favorite book is 'Art of War' -talk about a book of strategy. And yes, call me typical, but nothing can beat reruns of 'Will and Grace' or 'I Love Lucy'. Both are great shows and one is a great classic.

Thom Seehafer is part-owner of Body Solutions Rx, a company which he says helps people release excess weight in a short amount of time, but in a healthy, safe way with the use of Hcg.