M@ Around The World

F lying back from an outstanding weekend in Los Angeles where I spent the weekend visiting friends and celebrating Pride, I'm finding myself full of wonder and a pent-up desire to live in a place where being out, open, and able to live a "normal" life is second nature (doesn't sound too unreasonable, eh?). There are few cities in the world today that actually afford this possibility to its citizens, and even they have certain restrictions due to state or federal laws (in whichever country they're in). L.A., however, has an incredible appeal from its west-coast lifestyle, proximity to Tinsel Town, and its people's history of civil demonstrations for equal rights. The energy there is completely unique. Over the past three-and-a-half days I was overwhelmed with parties; meeting new, attractive guys; and experiencing L.A.'s Pride parade and festival. Thanks to my friends Jayzen Patria, Joe Keenan, and Logan Grizzel, I felt like a VIP (and even had VIP access t...

I t's been a few years since I got the chance to hop a jet to the west coast to see my good friends out there. After I moved to Connecticut, though, I got an invitation from the Jayzen Patria to stay with him and his husband, Joe, at their palatial estate just south of West Hollywood for Los Angeles Pride. Far be it from me to turn down such a wonderful opportunity to experience some LGBT culture in a city where culture is defined for all denominations of person, so I hopped onto Delta.com and before I knew it, the landing gear was down and our plane arrived in LAX! Los Angeles, and the people that live here (especially the ones that are natively from here) have always intrigued me. I think growing up in a small, rural area has really shaped my perceptions even to this day, even after all of the traveling and moving to various corners of the world. When I'm in L.A., I feel like I'm in another world of possibilities, where people truly perceive the world through a much ...