Activist: a gay person who finds more personal validation at a protest holding a picket sign than they would at a bar holding a Bud light. Activist gays are some of society's most active contributors. The do-gooders are always on the lookout for a new cause and are likely silent donors to, or board members of, many important service and/or civil rights groups. They may be seen as aloof from the gay scene because their predisposition lies not in celebrity gossip or HGTV but in more substantive issues.

Everyone’s favorite activist is plenty busy these days with protests running the gamut to discriminatory marriage-related legislation to a stocking full of other worthy causes.

Not to pick and choose, but if you’re looking at something that affects everyone, and is sure to light a fire under anyone with civil disobedience on the brain, consider a copy of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” for under the tree.

Sure, the documentary got a lot of attention, not to mention Oscars for Gore and the gifted Melissa Etheridge, but the message remains the same: One planet, limited resources, and we’re screwing it up royally. Available everywhere imaginable, except maybe the newly GOP Tennessee state legislature.

Sometimes it’s good to take a break from fighting the really big, important battles and remember that just taking the recycling out to the Curby helps, too.

It is easy for an activisty gay to lose sight of his own best interests whilst worrying about philanthropy and political correctness, so another good gift idea is to help him get rid of some of that tension with a gift certificate for a massage.

There are many licensed massage therapists in the GLBT community who would gladly work some of the knots out of the kneck of your little do-gooder. Two great de-stressers are; Brian Johnston, LMT, (615.714.2966) and the staff at Stepping Stone Massage Clinic (615.866.9173).