NNN Essays
A collection of some essays I’ve written for NewNowNext, ranging from the toxicity of gay hookup apps to critiques on pop culture and pieces finding humor amid a global pandemic.
Gays Are Used to Rebellious Sex. Is Hooking Up in a Pandemic Any Different?
If you’re a young, healthy gay man with insurance, catching the “Rona” might feel like a small price to pay to get your rocks off.
How Can I, a Homosexual, Possibly Stop Touching My Face?
With coronavirus on the rise, I am faced with my biggest challenge yet.
Life as a Blouse: Confessions of an Effeminate Top
Tackling toxic gay masculinity with a stiff D and a limp wrist.
Everyone Is Gay: How Queer Teens Came of Age in 2019
These legendary children gave film and TV life this year.
The Dick Stays in the Picture: HBO’s Long History of Full-Frontal Penis
From "Real Sex" to "Game of Thrones," a look back at the junk-filled journey to that controversial "Euphoria" locker room scene.
The Importance of Being Ernestine Eckstein, Pioneer in the Early Gay Rights Movement
Eckstein was a pivotal figure in the homophile movement that preceded the Stonewall Rebellion.
Seeking a Sexting Buddy for the End of the World
To quell my quarantined hormones, I’ve been texting with flames old and new. The stakes seem low, but the fallout can sting like a motherf*cker.
Harlem Renaissance at 100: Moms Mabley, Out and Outstanding Stand-Up
The trailblazing comedian was known as "Mr. Moms" off-stage, where she would dress in suits and enjoy the company of young women.
Dave Chappelle “Came Out” as Gay. Let the Backlash Begin.
In a new clip of the comedian accepting the Mark Twain Prize, he jokes how he can't wait to see what being gay does for his career.
The “Alphabet People”: On Dave Chappelle and His Comedy of Errors
The stand-up offers some nuanced observations in his new special, "Sticks & Stones," but he's only willing to go halfway in his understanding of LGBTQ people.
“F*ck You N*gger”: Interrogating the White Gaze of White Gays
After getting called the N-word on Grindr...yet again, it's time to take a long, hard look at the white gay gaze as it relates to black gay men.
Harlem Renaissance at 100: The First Black Gay Short Story Ever Published
From 1926, Richard Bruce Nugent's "Smoke, Lilies, and Jade" is an ode to interracial same-sex desire.
What’s a Gym Gay™️ Without the Gym? A Meditation.
A famous philosopher—or Instagay—once said, "I lift therefore I am." But is there a point of existence without a steam room?
Harlem Renaissance at 100: Richard Bruce Nugent, Gay Rebel With a Clause
Author of the first published short story about black gay desire, this enfant terrible was one of the few out artists of the movement.
Rage on Both Sides: Why the 2010s Were the Decade of the Backlash
How hashtags, boycotts, and cancel culture came to define one of the most tumultuous times in American history.
420 Feet Away: How Grindr Helped Me Find Weed While Traveling the U.S.
On looking for a different kind of hookup...
A Home at the End of the World: Provincetown and the AIDS Crisis
When everyone else turned them away, gay men dying from AIDS found solace and compassion in the tiny town at the tip of Cape Cod.
Eric’s “Sex Education” Storyline Gave Me Every. Single. Gay. Feel
As did Gillian Anderson's wig. Spoilers ahead!