Celebration of rural life: Queer Arts Fest draws thousands to Barre, VT

After moving to Vermont in 2021, Lee Baker wondered if the time was right to finally “make some money with this ceramics hobby of...

10 Years On: Gay Marriage in Massachusetts

On May 17, 2004, history was made. Massachusetts became the first state in the country to honor legal same-sex marriages. And when one considers the ripple effect that had—catalyzing greater acceptance that permeated everything from pop culture to politics—it is no exaggeration to say that for gay men and women, America changed forever. And it happened because of “Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health,” the landmark court case argued by GLAD’s Mary Bonauto. Together, seven couples shared their lives with the world in the hopes that they might change it. And a decade later, we revisited each of them to reflect on the case, its impact, how it changed their lives.

Michelle Kosilek’s Open Letter to the LGBT community

Read our interview with Michelle Kosilek here. 1/22/14 Dear LGBT Family, When David Zimmerman graciously offered to let me write an open letter to accompany the article...

Michelle Kosilek Speaks to Boston Spirit Magazine

Michelle Kosilek is an unlikely advocate for LGBT equality. Convicted for murder and spending time in a designated all-male prison, Kosilek is suing for her right to receive gender reassignment surgery, to allow her physical body to match who she has discovered herself to be: a woman. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts refuses to pay for the medical procedure. Most recently, on January 17, 2014, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals declared in favor of Kosilek’s surgery, stating, “DOC has violated Kosilek’s Eighth Amendment rights.” The state is appealing the verdict.

Mike Michaud: The Maine Gay Guy

If Mike Michaud hangs on to his lead in the polls, he could become the nation’s first openly gay person to be elected to...

JFK’s Gay Best Friend

Fifty years ago this month, on the afternoon of November 22, 1963, Lem Billings had just returned from lunch when he heard the news. He was an advertising executive at Lennen and Newell in New York and as he approached his office building at 380 Madison Avenue, Billings saw immediately that something was wrong. Waves of people rolled out of the building onto the street, some looked confused, others wept. According to David Pitts, author of Jack and Lem: The Untold Story of an Extraordinary Friendship, a face in the crowd approached Billings and said, “I’m so sorry about the president.”

Ricardo Recommends: Drink Up!

The best mixologists in town. The best holiday drinks. For your best party ever. It is that time of year again! Time for merriment, parties,...

Who in the ‘H*ck’ is Prescott Townsend

He may just be the most influential gay rights pioneer you’ve never heard of Prescott Townsend may be the most influential Boston gay rights pioneer you have never heard of. If so, hang on; before we’re through, Townsend will cross paths with Andre Gide, 1960s hippies, John Waters and his star, Mink Stole. And that’s not counting the army of young men who lived with him on Beacon Hill and in Provincetown, as long as their waist sizes hovered very close to 30-inches.

The Beat Goes On

On October 13, Ribaudo will marry his longtime partner Joe Posa. They’ll celebrate their reception, which after certain hours will be open to the whole community, at Club Café. That’s because their wedding coincides with a second reason to celebrate. October marks the 30th anniversary of Club Café, which has become iconic in New England’s gay scene. For one generation, it has been a community center: a comfortable second home filled with old friends. For another, it’s a party palace: where stepping inside, grabbing your first drink, and scoring your first date has become a veritable rite of passage. And Club Café shows no sign of slowing down.

You Better Work: Local, Gay-owned clothing brand launches its cool career collection

For some designers, haute couture is what turns their head. But for John Robb, co-owner of Jamaica Plain-based Inseam, the perfect fit, precise cut, and sharp shape of a well-made garment is what really gets his sewing machine’s motor running.

‘I Don’t Think I Had Time To Be Scared’

Boston Police Department LGBT Liaison Javier Pagan details his experience as a first responder at the Boston Marathon blasts Javier Pagan was just feet from...

Aging Back Into the Closet

Maine is the most recent state to allow gay marriage, and the first in the nation to have the law approved by a majority of voters at the polls. Following the passage of the gay marriage law, many in the state have wondered: “What’s next?” After all, marriage is the default panacea of gay rights, and Maine ranks in the top ten states in the nation for gay-friendly laws. Another distinction? Maine has the oldest population in the U.S. with more than 300,000 elders age 60 and over. It is estimated that 15,000 of them are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. For many, the reality of old age comes, hits when one is faced with the reality of what it means to be senior.

Joe Putignano: Acrobat, Author … Addict

Heroin? Contortionist? Model? It’s a dichotomy that’s only likely to play itself out in the most outrageous Lifetime movie specials. So, to hear Putignano’s story is quite inspiring if not fantastical.

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