Coronavirus Distanced: Coronavirus Chronicles In March of 2020, the dawn of the COVID-19 era began in Virginia. The swiftness and seeming suddenness of its onset and our shifting perceptions about the threat it posed
LGBT Rainbows in an Era of Gray Photographing rainbow flags that I encounter around Norfolk during the month of June has become a tradition for me in recent years. I began doing so because seeing them always brought me a sense of joy and of solidarity, and sharing that is something I consider worthwhile.
Norfolk Faded Glory in the Golden Hour There are several things I'd like for you to know about these photos, the first of which is that I'd been assembling a series of images loosely organized around the
Pride Always Chasing Rainbows Years ago, a sighting of even just one rainbow flag or sticker around and about the neighborhood would hearten me, as they'd typically been quite rare. These days, however, I
Community Thank You for Dining with Me As a 20-plus year resident of Norfolk, I’ve orbited the cycle of arriving as a stranger, ultimately meeting and knowing lots of folks from a variety of walks of life, being invited to house parties pretty regularly, and then once again becoming a relative stranger.
LGBT National Coming Out Day: Don't Let Go From a distance, I could not be certain, but was hopeful. "Is that two dudes, perchance, holding hands?" I wondered, as I arrived on the block on which
LGBT Expressions of Pride 2017 in Norfolk, Virginia -- and Particularly in Ghent A few years ago, I began flying on my porch a flag bearing the Human Rights Campaign's equality emblem, inspired largely by the feeling of solidarity and support I experienced
LGBT Time-Travel Tuesday: A Night Out in Richmond In today’s installment of time-travel Tuesday, we’re turning back the clock to 1982 (for the bedspread; I jest, I jest!) and to 2003 (for the person sitting on the bedspread, and the one positioned behind the camera). Thirteen years ago, July 26
LGBT The Marvels of PrideFest, the PrideFest Bubble, and the Importance of LGBT Visibility One, amongst many, reasons that I so enthusiastically support and attend PrideFest and its companion events is that, in Hampton Roads, the event creates an unparalleled level of visibility for
LGBT A Relative Stranger Who Was Dear to My Heart: Becoming Better-Acquainted with "Our Own," An LGBT Newspaper Based in Norfolk, VA When first I moved to Hampton Roads in 1998, I'd never been in a gay bar, save for one impromptu visit with friends to a place in Charlotte, NC several
LGBT William & Mary Undergrads Delve Into Archives to Help Document Virginia's LGBTIQ Past Yesterday, I journeyed to Williamsburg, VA to hear the student presentations associated with the William & Mary Mattachine LGBTIQ Research Project "Documenting the LGBTIQ Past in Virginia." Charles
Life Gifts from Granny's Passing: A Candy Dish with a Past and Conversation from the Heart After my grandmother passed away a couple of weeks ago, my mom asked me if there was anything I'd like to have from her house as a keepsake. What came to mind initially were a few pieces of furniture that she'd had during the
LGBT Street Slurs: The Return of the F-Word Ended My Longest-Ever Winning Streak Sometimes, the inability to remember is symptomatic not so much of a faulty sense of recall as it is of a scar not subjected of late to a new injury. In this particular instance, I would attribute more to the latter than the former
LGBT Finding One's Tribe: LGBT Documentaries "Coming of Age in Cherry Grove" and "Straight Acting" I initially intended this post as a quick shout-out for two LGBT-related documentaries I'd seen in the last few days and enjoyed, though since I wound up straying into review territory for at least one of them -- which was perhaps inevitable, considering the
Observation May We Survive Our Gashes May we survive our gashes and may they, in their healing, generate character more apt to be described as patina, rather than rust. (Images from last night's walk.)
Community Cohort Program A New Adventure: Cohabitating with Shakespeare Well, I've a new adventure to report: I'm cohabitating. And with Shakespeare, no less! Oh, wait -- I must make a slight amendment to that assertion. I'm actually "cohorting,
Images One must always hope that in the adversity of one's neglected crevices, something of beauty flourishes. Marigold, Virginia Beach, VA | Photographed November 14, 2014
Lessons About Life A Final Journey: Compassion and Clarity as My Uncle's Life Neared Its Conclusion As children, there is much that most of us would’ve avoided, had we had the option: shots, the dentist, lengthy homework assignments, and bullies, to name a few. As
Community "Looking" for Meaningful Connections My craving for emotional connection and meaningful interaction typically exceeds the degree to which I actually find them. It's a testament, then, to the quality of HBO's "Looking"
Bostic v. Rainey A Celebration in Solidarity: GLBT Virginians Finally Get a Win of Their Own in Court I don’t know about you, but I don’t reside in an environment such that a party, or even a party spirit, is likely to envelop me as I
GLBT The Sparkle & The Fade: The Purported Closing of a Former Favorite Haunt Spurs Memories of Coming Out and Coming of Age "love this place, will miss it. Memories with Aaron, dance tunes and dancers.. laughing and lusting, and sometimes feeling like a diamond." The quote was an anonymous comment
