Columnists and Letters Read op-eds, thoughts, reflections, and opinions on LGBT subjects and life in general.

DIARY: Hurting My Pride?

When a book event ends up overflowing with fans of his partner Gary, Wade is left wondering: How come no one showed up to root for him? BY WADE ROUSE On a recent book tour, I...

Editor Paul Hagen Wonders: Does the Cologne Make the Man?

The year is 1999. I’m at home in New Jersey after my freshman year of college, and having gotten a taste of the freedom and excitement of living in NYC, I’m climbing the...

Editor Paul Hagen Asks: Does Anyone Ever Outgrow Childhood — Or its Artifacts?

Looking at the walls of my home today — generously sprinkled with framed photos, prints, posters and the like — it’s strange to remember a time when I didn’t own a single...

First on Your Travel List: Know When to Go Commando

Kevin is anxious to find time to enjoy Amsterdam’s less-family-friendly pleasures, but ends up finding a state of freedom more total than he bargained for. That Amsterdam would...

This Is How to Recover from Losing Your Luggage

Wade and his pal Trish spend a year planning to look fabulous on vacation, only to end up arriving without a thing for her to wear. Waiting for the Other Shoes to Drop The four of...

Lessons Learned: Visting Relatives Can Make A Gay Wedding Even More Gay

When I was a freshman in high school, my then-best-friend Pete had an older sister who was (more-or-less openly) a lesbian. It was something that he and I joked about: I suppose...

And . . . Voilá! Wade Rouse Explains His Pen Name of Viola Shipman

When Wade begins writing fiction under a female pen name, he’s forced to consider what womanhood means to him. “What’s he doing up there? Where’s Viola? That’s a man!”...

Design by Committee

David lands on a committee to redesign a lobby, and chaos ensues. My most memorable experience working with interior designers came in the course of doing volunteer work. I’d...

Diary: Love, Wade

Wade remembers crafting a valentine mailbox in school that attracted the attentions of a fellow student who liked him — and a bully who did not. In my grade school, it was...

My Night of Surprises with Frances McDormand and Shakespeare

It did not start out as a good night. my then-boyfriend Jonathan and I had fallen into a pattern of fighting — particularly about whether we were spending more social time with...

Kevin Phinney Finds A Meaning for Christmas All His Own

After a childhood of unhappy holidays, Kevin wasn’t sure why people people said that Christmas was for kids — until one child brought out the kid in him again....

Puppy Love Brings Wade an Unexpected Yuletide Gift

Wade is convinced Gary has gone too far with an unexpected holiday gift for his parents, but their reaction turns out to be the real surprise. “No!” I said to Gary and the dog...