The slow disappearing act of turning 50
I’ve been unemployed long enough now that I’ve stopped pretending it’s a “break.”
Portfolio
Written
The leftovers
When I was about six years old, my grandmother made me a handcrafted cloth doll.
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.
The political magic trick most Americans never notice
What if I told you something called the Wizard’s Rules could provide you with one of the clearest explanations of how political power works?
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.
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. Despite multiple trips through the sandbox and being carted all around the rural Indiana of my childhood, the bus remains bright yellow—even if the toy broke so long ago it’s impossible to remember it intact. Its hidden power still shines.
Nothing could stop that bus. It could do anything. You see, the toy’s flaw was its secret weapon.
Nothing could stop that bus. It could do anything. You see, the toy’s flaw was its secret weapon.
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.
I took my hoomans to a pet-friendly hotel for a romantic getaway. Here's how it went.
International Dog Day was this Monday, but I celebrated a little early. The Kimpton Virgilio opened recently in Mexico City and they’re pet-friendly, so I knew I could take my hoomans with me.
The hotel offers a “couple’s getaway” weekend offer, and I told them that was why we were going. They totally bought it.
The hotel offers a “couple’s getaway” weekend offer, and I told them that was why we were going. They totally bought it.
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.
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.
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? As a journalist who left the hard news beat to focus more on features in an attempt to save my sanity, I’m not going to judge. After all, I fled to Mexico when my 25-year marriage took a dramatic turn; I understand avoidance.
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?”
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.
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.
Here's how to spend 48 hours in Cartagena
It was a red-eye flight from Mexico City to Cartagena, with a quick layover in Bogota to rush through customs – and then the flight was delayed. The gay flight attendant matter-of-factly told me I wouldn’t be making the next flight out of Bogota, but they’d get me on the next flight an hour later.
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.
From high fashion to advocacy work, Myles Sexton is an icon to models
Myles Sexton is often compared to Jonathan van Ness, but unlike the problematic Queer Eye hair expert, Sexton is Canadian. They’re a nice person. It’s in their bones.
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.
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.
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.
This luxury hotel in Mexico City has become a gay getaway for those who know how to find it
Tucked away off the main avenue of Mexico City sits a small hotel that’s easily overlooked but worth finding. A half block from Paseo de la Reforma, the Volga Hotel is a boutique luxury hotel catering to the LGBTQ+ community.
Special Snowflake Syndrome is ruining the LGBTQ movement
Our movement has become martyrs without a cause. Instead of viewing the world as a place that needs fixing, the new breed of activist only sees it as broken.
Here's how to spend your birthday like a VIP
My boyfriend, Uriel, and I recently visited Cabo San Lucas and stayed at the Corazón Cabo Resort. I’m an American living in Mexico City, and he’s Mexican. The resort invited us to celebrate his birthday.
As a tourist destination, the resort caters to gringos and, for Uriel, the sudden switch to English as the predominant language was a new experience.
As a tourist destination, the resort caters to gringos and, for Uriel, the sudden switch to English as the predominant language was a new experience.
Mexico City is trans-friendly. You can see it on the streets
Visitors can see queer couples holding hands and kissing in shopping centers, on the streets, and in parks. Another common site is murals and graffiti. But a closer look at the spray paint can reveal something about CDMX’s trans community.
Love wins on a mountaintop: Meet the first same-sex couple legally married in Santorini
In a landmark celebration of love and progress, Santorini Sky, the highest resort on the Greek island of Santorini, hosted the island’s first legal same-sex wedding. The ceremony marked a significant milestone following Greece’s legalization of same-sex marriage in February 2024.
Edited
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
An Egyptian tomb contains the first gay love story recorded in history
Wherever evidence of homosexuality has been found in any culture, controversy—and often fatal danger—soon followed. Despite this, gay men worldwide have continually chosen to risk their lives for each other.
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.