Portfolio

Business Insider • 22nd August 2026

I'm 53, and my partner is 29. My recent health crisis brought our age gap to the forefront.

I'm 53, and my partner is 29. When I moved to Mexico City and we started dating, I posted a photo of us to Instagram, and my American friends lost their minds.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 20th August 2026

He told me he loved me. I spit in his face.

George Michael played softly on a cassette tape that never got flipped. I still can’t hear “Faith” or “Father Figure” without thinking about Steve. It was the summer of 1988.

National Geographic • 8th June 2026

8 of the best things to do in Mexico City

Mexico City is not only the largest metropolis in North America but also a bustling megacity full of historic landmarks, natural wonders, and a world-class food destination.

Smithsonian Magazine • 22nd August 2018

How a Little Yellow Bus Came to the Rescue of a Persecuted Schoolboy

It is just a simple metal-and-plastic toy, but don’t let that fool you.

LGBTQ Nation • 13th December 2023

Sophie B. Hawkins almost killed her career by coming out in the 90s. She didn't let it stop her.

Sophie B. Hawkins doesn’t watch the news. Who can blame her?

Business Insider • 9th May 2026

After I left my 24-year marriage, I moved to Mexico City on a whim

The break came suddenly. After 24 years together, my husband told me he wanted to explore his bisexual side.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 10th February 2026

The Mac & Cheese Method is why politics keeps getting worse

Politics runs on a communications trick that looks a lot like the grocery store aisle. I call it the Mac and Cheese Method.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 13th August 2026

I fell in love with a con artist when I was a teenager

I dated a con artist for several months when I was 19. It wasn’t until the cops showed up to haul him away to jail that the illusion broke.

Business Insider • 31st May 2026

I'm in my 50s, and I wonder where I fit in this current job market.

I spent 20 years helping to build the online journalism ecosystem. So why can't I find a job in digital journalism now that I'm unemployed for the first time?

GayCities • 16th May 2024

Mexico City's only soul food restaurant serves a taste of home for ex-pats & LGBTQ+ people

Tiara Darnell never imagined owning a restaurant. For her, food has always been an experience and a feeling, not a business.

So how did she end up owning and operating Blaxicocina, Mexico City’s only soul food restaurant? We sat down with her one warm evening to find out.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 2nd June 2026

4 lessons from ACT UP we can use against Trump

The playbook exists. It worked. Why aren't we using it?

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 26th February 2026

The leftovers

When I was about six years old, my grandmother made me a handcrafted cloth doll.

GayCities • 27th February 2025

What's it like to vacation in a place most people can't find on a map?

I’ve always been fascinated by Curacao. I wanted to go someplace most people would have to ask, “Where is that?”

LGBTQ Nation • 26th February 2024

Jared Polis has a message for making America inclusive for everyone: Vote

In 2008, after a heated, history-making primary battle against Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama secured the Democratic nomination for president. But in Colorado, congressional candidate Jared Polis also became a game-changer.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 28th April 2026

This is my dirty secret

AI bots are about to out me

1 Minute Critic • 7th May 2026

Fridamania: Frida Kahlo's biggest year yet

Kahlo’s impact has reached global proportions, and this summer, “Fridamania” proves her allure is stronger than ever.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 21st July 2026

The dog did this to me

Maggie, our little Maltipoo, is a former street dog and she just can’t shake the habit of snatching up any crumb of food from the sidewalk and gulping it down. A couple of weeks ago, after an unfortunate snack, she got sick and needed to go to the vet. That’s when it happened.

GayCities • 30th May 2024

Pablo Vittar talks travel, staying fit, and her new adidas Pride collection

In a lively conversation with the ever-glamorous Pabllo Vittar, the globally renowned Brazilian drag queen and pop star, we delved into the inspiration behind her new Pride collection for adidas, her passion for travel, and how she stays fit on the go.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 2nd April 2026

The slow disappearing act of turning 50

I’ve been unemployed long enough now that I’ve stopped pretending it’s a “break.”

GayCities • 8th November 2024

He owns the Abbey, a large part of Fire Island, and a gay hotel chain. So who is Tristan Schukraft?

Tristan Schukraft has recently purchased several LGBTQ+ landmark cultural fixtures. And he owns Mistr, the company that discreetly provides PrEP to LGBTQ+ people nationwide via mail order.

The iconic Los Angeles bar, The Abbey, is his. He purchased a substantial portion of the commercial space on Fire Island. And he launched Tryst, a hotel chain aimed at queer travelers.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 17th February 2026

You don't deserve to win

You don’t think of yourself as complicit. You consider yourself informed, engaged, and morally alert. That confidence is exactly where your vulnerability lies.

GayCities • 23rd September 2024

This small Mexican state is perfect for gay lovers

While Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, and Mexico City receive the most attention south of the border, the Pacific state of Nayarit is quickly pushing its way to the front. They’ve invested heavily in tourism, and tourists flock to the area, with LGBTQ+ people in the vanguard.

Bil Browning’s Tummy Ache Nation • 15th January 2026

Growing older without growing quiet

I used to be louder.At eighteen, I helped start an ACT UP chapter in rural Indiana and protested across the country. In my twenties, I organized rallies and led protests throughout the state. At thirty-two, I launched a radical queer blog that angered people daily, and I did not worry about who it offended.

GayCities • 24th May 2024

Strike gold at Puerto Rico's hottest oceanfront luxury resort: Dorado Beach

Sometimes you have to treat yourself.

And if you’re looking for a luxurious tropical vacation without using your passport, the Dorado Beach resort, a Ritz-Carlton reserve outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the perfect spot. Nestled against the Atlantic Ocean, the 50-acre retreat is situated on the former Rockafeller estate—and it shows.

LGBTQ Nation • 25th October 2023

'Bury them in fruit jars.' A gay mass murder and the cover-up that followed

Flames shot through the crowded Up Stairs Lounge as bartender Buddy Rasmussen opened the front door to see who had been ringing the downstairs buzzer.


Some patrons saw the b...

LGBTQ Nation • 29th September 2022

Stuck between two worlds, the tattoo studio is the only place this trans artist can live her truth

The services offered at the Inkspace Studio in New Delhi’s bustling Hauz Khas neighborhood are similar to those provided by other tattoo studios in the area. But the artist is unique. 27-year-old Bruna has two lives.

GayCities • 2nd May 2024

An introvert's guide to group travel

I step into the soaring hotel lobby, pasty white as a newly cast limb and sporting a straw fedora to protect my bald head from the Mexican sun. But no amount of sunscreen can shield me from the hundreds of queers descending upon Puerto Vallarta for a resort takeover. There’s one small problem, though. I’m not a people person.

LGBTQ Nation • 30th March 2022

Women make the best coffee. Here's how they are transforming the industry

Behind your morning cup of coffee, there lies an entire ecosystem filled with farmers, roasters, importers, distributors, baristas, shop owners, and marketers. And increasingly, it is made up of strong, tenacious women.

LGBTQ Nation • 30th November 2022

The secret gay neighborhood inside Tehran

Muhammad often tells his conservative parents he’s going out to smoke and take a walk. While they are not happy about his smoking habits, they are much more accepting of their son inhaling nicotine than what he really does.

GayCities • 23rd May 2024

This revolutionary gay bookstore was held together by "all the wiretaps the FBI ran through it"

In 1971, Deacon Maccubbin stumbled upon the quaint Oscar Wilde Bookshop on Mercer Street while visiting New York for Pride. Inside, he found no more than a few dozen titles on its racks, but he was amazed to discover a space devoted to gay literature.

GayCities • 22nd May 2025

The legend of the lesbian wolf girls at Vassar College

Vassar College has long had a reputation for being ahead of its time. There was even a running joke that students would arrive in late August and be “gay by May.”

GayCities • 10th December 2024

My idiot husband dove into a school of barracuda in the Bahamas. I'm the one who almost died.

Years ago, Michael and I flew to the Bahamas for the destination wedding of one of my college friends. The plan was to attend the wedding, then stay a few more days to enjoy ourselves.