Kev Maxen be first male ach a US men’s pro sports league to publicly e out as gay | CNN

Contents:

• YOUR ULTIMATE EAST COAST GAY ROAD TRIP GUI
• GAYT PLAC IN IOWA FOR 2020
• THE MYTH OF THE QUEER ARAB LIFEEVOLVINGFOR MOST PEOPLE THE WT LIFE THE ARAB WORLD FOR GAY PEOPLE IS HARD TO FATHOM. IT IS, LIKE MANY OTHER PARTS OF LIFE THIS REGN, PLITED.SALEEM HADDADUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 6:56PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 02, 2016 12:01AM EDT FACEBOOKONE OF MY FAVORE TELEVISN SHOWS GROWG UP WAS A RAMADAN SPECIAL FEATURG AN EGYPTIAN PERFORMER LLED SHERIHAN. ONE YEAR SHE HAD A RAMADAN SPECIAL LLED ‘SHERIHAN AROUND THE WORLD’, A TWENTY-MUTE SGG AND DANCG EXTRAVAGANZA, WHICH HAD HER DRSG EXQUISE STUM OM AROUND THE WORLD AND PERFORMG ELABORATE SONG AND DANCE ROUT. SHERIHAN WAS A WOMAN, BUT SHE WAS THE BT DRAG QUEEN I HAD EVER SEEN: MP, SELF-AWARE, AND FABULO. SHE HAD PLANTED ME, WHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, THE FIRST SEEDS OF MY OWN GAY INTY.TWELVE YEARS LATER, WHEN I WAS LIVG AMMAN, MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME. I WAS BEG TOO OPEN WH MY SEXUALY, HE SAID. I HAD NFID TOO MANY PEOPLE. BEG WH ME WAS BEG DANGERO. I TOLD HIM THAT NO ONE WOULD KILL , LET ALONE THREATEN . THE JORDANIAN POLICE DON’T HAVE A HISTORY OF TARGETG GAY MEN, I REASONED, PECIALLY THOSE OF OUR SOCIAL CLASS. BUT THAT WASN’T THE DANGER, HE EXPLAED. THE DANGER WAS THAT BEG SEEN WH ME WAS MAKG PEOPLE THK HE WAS ‘GAY’. AND HE DID NOT WANT TO BE SEEN AS ‘GAY’.I DID NOT SEE THIS TRANSFORMATN G, BUT HAPPENED. THE ‘GAY INTY’ HAD UNKNOWGLY BEEN GROWG SI ME LIKE A TUMOR, UNTIL SUDNLY ONE MORNG I WOKE UP AND REALIZED I WAS FECTED, AND THE DISEASE WAS TERMAL. I HAD BEE SOMEONE WHO INTIFIED AS ‘GAY’.I BLAMED SHERIHAN. AFTER ALL, SHE STARTED THIS MS. ***MANY ARABS WHO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC DO NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’, ‘LBIAN’, OR ‘BISEXUAL’. FOR EVERY QUEER ARAB WHO HAS FORMULATED THEIR SENSE OF SELF BY WATCHG ‘WILL AND GRACE’ AND ‘PARIS IS BURNG’ ARE UNTLS OTHERS WHO DO NOT FEEL IS UNUAL TO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC AND REMA UNNNECTED TO THE WORD ‘GAY’. EVEN AMONGST THOSE WHO MAY FEEL AT HOME THEIR GAY INTY, THE NOTN OF PUBLICLY G OUT RGS HOLLOW A CULTURE WHERE WHO YOU SHARE YOUR BED WH IS A PRIVATE MATTER.LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE THE WORLD, SEXUAL INTI THE MIDDLE EAST TERSECT WH CLASS, GENR, AND THE PLEX TERPLAY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, MAKG IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEAK OF A SGULAR ‘QUEER ARAB’ EXPERIENCE. THERE ARE A MULTU OF QUEER ARAB EXPERIENC: OM GENR RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PROVIDG UNRGROUND ABORTN SERVIC TO LONG ROMANTIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN BEDOU MEN SIWA, EACH QUEER LIFE THE ARAB WORLD IS UNIQUE. TRYG TO WRE ABOUT A SGULAR GAY ARAB EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, AS ONE LEBANE GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST PUT , THE EQUIVALENT OF “WRG A STORY ABOUT GAY LIFE THE US, AND JT TERVIEWG SOMEONE OM THE WTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH, A CLOSETED TEENAGER NEBRASKA, AND ADAM LAMBERT.” DPE THIS, QUEER ARAB BODI HAVE BEE A BATTLEGROUND A MUCH LARGER WAR. AFTER ALL, IS NO SECRET THAT BOTH LIBERALS AND NSERVATIV NORTH AMERI AND EUROPE HAVE, SCE 9/11, WAVED THE FLAG OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS, AND TO A LSER GREE LGBT RIGHTS, AS A WAY TO GA WTERN PUBLIC SUPPORT TO WAGE WARS THE MIDDLE EAST. IMAG AND STORI OF OPPRSED AFGHAN WOMEN DROVE THE LL TO WAR 2001, AND THE MORE RECENT FOOTAGE OF ISIS THROWG GAY MEN OFF TOWERS AND ENSLAVG YEZIDI WOMEN STOKED THE FIR OF TERVENTN SYRIA.QUEER ARABS FACE A DUAL STGGLE: WE ARE BATTLG OPPRSIVE FORC WH OUR OWN MUNI, AND WE ARE ALSO RISTG THE GLOBAL NARRATIVE THAT TRI TO E OUR “OPPRSN” FOR BROAR ARY OR POLIL GOALS.THE QUTN THEN BE: WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?***WHOUT MY BOYIEND BY MY SI, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WH MY DAYS. I CHA-SMOKED AND CRIED MY BEDROOM. AT WORK, I WROTE LONG, RAMBLG E-MAILS TO MYSELF ABOUT WHAT VALUE A PRIVATE RELATNSHIP WOULD HAVE IF ULD NOT BE CELEBRATED PUBLICLY, THE SAME WAY THE RELATNSHIPS OF MY STRAIGHT IENDS WERE BEG CELEBRATED THE LAVISH WEDDGS I ATTEND EVERY OTHER NIGHT.IN THE AFTERNOONS, I WATCHED OPRAH, BEE SHE SEEMED TO HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS. BUT THEN A FEMIST IEND TOLD ME THAT OPRAH PROPAGAT AN DIVIDUALISM THAT GO AGAST THE LLECTIVIST VALU NEED TO ADDRS STCTURAL PROBLEMS LIKE HOMOPHOBIA AND PATRIARCHY.“BIS, YOU STILL HAVE EASIER THAN WOMEN,” SHE SAID. “AT LEAST YOU N RENT A HOTEL ROOM WH A GUY AND NO ONE WILL ASK TO SEE MARRIAGE DOCUMENTS. AT LEAST, AS A MAN, YOU N LEAVE THE HOE THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHOUT ANYONE BREATHG DOWN YOUR NECK.”I SHAVED MY HEAD, BEE I FELT THAT A SHAVED HEAD MIGHT MAKE ME LS GAY.“IS THIS BETTER?” I ASKED MY BOYIEND.“NO,” HE RPOND. “I’M SORRY.”***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?ON MAY 11TH, 2001, 52 MEN WERE ARRTED EGYPT. THE MEN WERE ABOARD THE QUEEN BOAT, A FLOATG NIGHTCLUB ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE. THE MEN WERE CHARGED WH “OBSCENE BEHAVUR”, BEATEN, AND FORCED TO UNRGO HUIATG EXAMATNS TO TERME THEIR SEXUALY.THE STORY REMAED THE HEADL FOR MONTHS. IMAG OF THE MEN WERE PLASTERED ON ERNMENT NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISN SCREENS. IN ONE PARTICULAR PHOTO, THE MEN WERE DRSED WHE, CRAMMED TOGETHER A GE AS THEY WAED FOR THEIR SENTENCE. MOST OF THE MEN HAD VERED THEIR FAC WH WHE CLOTH A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY.THE BODI OF THE ‘CAIRO 52’, AS THEY HAD BEEN LLED, BEME A BATTLEGROUND FOR AMICS, TELLECTUALS AND RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO PROJECT THEIR OWN THEORI ABOUT QUEER LIV THE ARAB WORLD. THE NMNATN AND SHAMG OF THE MEN BEME A WAY TO BRG SOME LEGIMACY TO PRINT MUBARAK’S RPT REGIME. WTERN LGBT ANIZATNS AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AMED THE RAID AS THE ARAB WORLD’S STONEWALL, WH ONE GROUP STAGG A PROTT AT THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY PARIS WH SIGNS MANDG THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT “EE OUR LOVERS”. MEANWHILE, ANTI-IMPERIALIST CRICS LIKE JOSEPH MASSAD ARGUED THAT WASN’T THE SAME-SEX SEXUAL PRACTIC THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT WAS ATTACKG, BUT RATHER “THE SOC-POLIL INTIFITN OF THE PRACTIC WH THE WTERN INTY OF GAYNS.” AFTER ALL, HE SAID, THE MEN DID NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’. IN FACT, THEY SPERATELY HID THEIR FAC. “THE ARE HARDLY MANIFTATNS OF GAY PRI OR GAY LIBERATN,” HE ARGUED.THE 52 MEN, THEIR FAC VERED WHE CLOTH, WERE FURTHER OBSCURED AS THEIR LIV BEME POLIL SRG RDS: FOR THORARIAN REGIM, ISLAMISTS, WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?WHEN ISIS THREW TWO MEN OFF A TOWER LAST YEAR AS PUNISHMENT FOR BEG GAY, WTERN MEDIA FUELLED TERNATNAL OUTRAGE AGAST THE TERRORIST ANISATN. BUT AMONG GAY IENDS THE MIDDLE EAST, THE CINT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THEM. “ISIS DID NOT KILL THOSE GUYS AS A MSAGE TO ,” A GAY IEND TOLD ME AS WE DRANK G AND SLIM-LE TONICS A BAR BEIT, LS THAN 90 OM HOMS, WHERE THE CINT TOOK PLACE. “THE MSAGE WAS MEANT FOR THE WT: ISIS WANTED TO SHOW THAT THEY STOOD AGAST EVERYTHG THE WT BELIEVED .”IN OTHER WORDS, ISIS’S MSAGE WAS THE POLIL EQUIVALENT OF “COME AT ME, BRO.” QUEER BODI FLUNG OFF A TOWER ARE A FOOTNOTE A LARGER POLIL AND ARY BRO-DOWN.WHEN I FIRST READ ABOUT THE CINT, I WANTED TO KNOW HOW THE MEN WERE UGHT. WAS JT A VIC LIE SPREAD BY SOMEONE WH A PERSONAL VENTTA? WERE THOSE MEN A RELATNSHIP WH EACH OTHER? WERE THEY LOVE, AND IF SO, DID THEY HAVE ANY DREAMS? OR WAS JT A QUICKIE A DARK ALLEYWAY? I WANTED TO KNOW MORE. BUT AS I OPENED MY BROWSER, I BEGAN TO WORRY THAT, GIVEN MY ARAB BACKGROUND, PERHAPS SEARCHG ABOUT ‘ISIS’ AND ‘SYRIA’ MAY FLAG ME UP TO SOME WTERN TELLIGENCE OFFICERS AS A TERRORIST THREAT, AND I ALREADY HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE TRAVELG ACROSS BORRS AS WAS. MAYBE ’S BETTER NOT TO KNOW, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF AS I CLOSED THE BROWSER.LATER THAT WEEK, THE SAME LEBANE IEND LOOKED UP OM HIS PHONE AND SAID TO ME: “THE ONE GOOD THG ABOUT HAVG SO MANY SYRIAN REFUGE LEBANON IS THAT YOU N FD SOME GEO SYRIAN RTS ON GRDR.”HE WAS CHATTG TO ONE AS HE SAID THIS. HE VED THE MAN OVER LATER THAT EVENG.THE SYRIAN MAN ARRIVED. THEY CHATTED FOR A WHILE. THE SYRIAN MAN EXPLAED HOW HE HAD PED SYRIA AND WAS TRYG TO MAKE SOME MONEY TO SUPPORT HIS MOTHER. UPON HEARG THIS STORY, MY IEND’S AROAL DAMPENED, AND AS THE RT WENT FOR A KISS, MY IEND PULLED BACK.“NO,” MY IEND SAID. “I’M SORRY I N’T DO THIS.”“PLEASE KISS ME,” THE SYRIAN SAID. “YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON, I KNOW .”“NO, I DON’T,” MY IEND SAID. HE PUT $100 THE MAN’S HANDS. “PLEASE TAKE THIS AND GO.”“I DON’T WANT THE MONEY,” THE SYRIAN MAN SAID, BURSTG TO TEARS. “I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU. BUT NOW YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON.”ISIS KILLS GAY PEOPLE. ASSAD CREAT GAY REFUGE.***IN 2012, 36 MEN WERE ARRTED A CEMA BOURJ HAMMOUD, A NEIGHBOURHOOD BEIT. CEMA PLAZA WAS A NOTOR CISG SPOT FOR GAY MEN. THE RAID HAPPENED AFTER A SIAR CEMA TRIPOLI, A WORKG CLASS CY NORTHERN LEBANON, WAS EXPOSED A LEBANE TELEVISN SHOW LLED ‘INTA HURR’ (‘YOU ARE FREE’). NEHER THE POLICE NOR THE MEDIA PAID ANY ATTENTN TO THE MULTU OF GAY BARS THE MORE UPSLE NEIGHBOURHOODS OF BEIT.IN RPONSE TO THE RAIDS, LEBANE GAY ACTIVISTS RELEASED PICTUR OF THE HOST OF THE TV PROGRAMME PARTYG A GAY NIGHTCLUB MYKONOS. THE HOST SHOT BACK, SAYG THAT HIS PRIVACY WAS VAD. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE TELEVISN STATN THAT AIRED THE SHOW, THE HOST CLAIMED THAT HE “WILL NOT APOLOGISE [FOR EXPOSG THE CEMAS], BEE THE BREACH OF PUBLIC MORALY IS ONE THG, AND SEXUAL EEDOM IS SOMETHG ELSE.”THE MSAGE WAS CLEAR: PRIVACY IS A LUXURY THAT IS ONLY AFFORD TO THOSE WHO N PAY FOR . IF YOU HAVE MONEY YOU N BUY YOURSELF A GAY INTY MYKONOS. IF NOT, THEN HEAD TO A NDOWN CEMA AND HOPE FOR THE BT.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI? IS THE THORARIAN REGIM WHO TRAMPLE ON QUEER BODI FOR MORAL LEGIMACY, THE JIHADISTS WHO BURNISH THEIR RELIG CRENTIALS BY TOSSG THE BODI OFF THE HIGHT TOWERS, THE WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS WHO ENFORCE THEIR OWN NARRATIV TO ‘SAVE’ THE BODI, THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS WHO ARGUE THAT THE BODI ARE NAIVELY ADOPTG LONIALIST DISURS, THE NEONSERVATIV WHO SHAKE AD QUEER BODI ONT OF THEIR NSTUENTS TO JTIFY WARS AND OCCUPATNS, OR THE RICH WHO DICTATE THE LE BETWEEN SEXUAL EEDOM AND PUBLIC MORALY?AS A QUEER PERSON THE ARAB WORLD, EVERYWHERE YOU TURN SOMEONE WANTS TO E YOUR BODY, YOUR STORY, OR YOUR LIFE FOR THEIR OWN PURPOS.***IN ONE SCENE MY NOVEL, RASA—A YOUNG GAY ARAB— OUT TO HIS LLEGE IEND AMERI. SHE RPONDS BY ASKG IF HE IS AT RISK OF BEG KILLED IF HE RETURNS TO THE MIDDLE EAST.“I DON’T THK SO,” RASA REPLI. HE PS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ADDG, “LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV.”A FEW MONTHS AFTER MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME, I CID TO MOVE TO EUROPE.I DID NOT LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE ANYONE WAS GOG TO KILL ME.I LEFT BEE I WANTED A WTERN PASSPORT THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO TRAVEL WHOUT HAVG TO BOOK VISA APPOTMENTS MONTHS ADVANCE, WHOUT HAVG TO PREPARE E STATEMENTS AND LETTERS OM EMPLOYERS AND HOTEL BOOKGS AND RETURN TICKETS. I LEFT BEE I WANTED A PASSPORT THAT WOULD GIVE ME PROTECTN, A PASSPORT THAT WOULD RAISE THE VALUE OF MY LIFE THE GLOBAL HIERARCHY.I LEFT BEE I FELT THAT THE REGN WAS KNEE-EP TRATN AND HOPELSNS, THAT THGS WERE GOG TO LLAPSE, AND THAT WH MY ARAB PASSPORT I WOULD HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. I LEFT BEE I KNEW ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THE WORLD DO NOT RE ABOUT ARAB AND MLIM BODI WASHG UP ON THE SHOR OF THE MEDERRANEAN.I LEFT BEE I WAS TIRED OF FDG WAYS TO JTIFY WHY I HAD TO KEEP MY GAY INTY HIDN, AND I FELT THAT MY SEXUALY WAS BEG YET ANOTHER WEAPON THAT ULD BE ED AGAST ME: IF SOMEONE VELOPED A PERSONAL VENTTA AGAST ME; IF I SPOKE OUT OF LE; IF I ENGAGED THE WRONG KD OF POLICS; IF I WAS NOT A GOOD CIZEN WHO SHUT UP AND TOOK . I LEFT BEE MY SEXUALY HAD BEE YET ANOTHER KNIFE HELD AGAST MY THROAT.HERE ARE OTHER KNIV HELD AGAST PEOPLE’S THROATS: BEG A REFUGEE ON A BOAT THE MEDERRANEAN. BEG A BLACK MAN THE U.S. BEG A PALTIAN ISRAEL. BEG A WOMAN PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE.TWENTY YEARS AFTER I FIRST SAW SHERIHAN DANCG ON TV, I ME ACROSS A YOUTUBE VIO OF HER LEADG THE CROWDS A CHANT TAHRIR SQUARE 2011. MY DRAG MOTHER HAD JOED THE REVOLUTN FOR EEDOM AND DIGNY. WATCHG THIS WHILE STG LONDON, I ULDN’T HELP BUT SE. WE HAD E FULL-CIRCLE, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, NAIVELY ASSUMG THAT THE WORST OF THE VLENCE WAS OVER. LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV. I DIDN’T LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE I FEARED FOR MY LIFE. I LEFT BEE I WAS PG ANOTHER SORT OF ATH.***THE TTH IS, I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, WHENEVER I OPENED THE MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT, I THOUGHT OF MY PARENTS, AND THE SHAME MY FATHER WOULD FEEL AS HIS SON EXPOSED HIMSELF SO OPENLY.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, AS MY FGERS HOVERED OVER MY ENGLISH LANGUAGE KEYBOARD, MY THOUGHTS TURNED TO VAR ARTICL, OPN PIEC AND BOOKS WRTEN BY SOME ARABS AND MLIMS WTERN MEDIA; PIEC THAT DULGED NARRATIV OF OPPRSN AND TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR SEXUAL LIBERATN THE ARAB WORLD; STORI THAT PANRED TO ORIENTALIST FANTASI AND ISLAMOPHOBIC STEREOTYP. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT GET ME TAED AND TERROGATED EVERY TIME I PASS THROUGH AN AMERIN AIRPORT. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT JTIFY CLOSG BORRS TO REFUGE FLEEG WAR ZON. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT HELP WTERN CIZENS SLEEP EASY AT NIGHT AS THEIR ERNMENTS DROP BOMBS ON YEMEN, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, SYRIA, PALTE AND IRAQ. I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE I FEARED THAT WRG WOULD MAKE MORE DIFFICULT TO GO BACK TO THE ARAB WORLD, THE PLACE I LL HOME AND THAT I LOVE ABOVE ALL ELSE.BUT NOT TO HAVE WRTEN MY NOVEL WOULD BE TO ADM FEAT TO ALL OF THE FORC. AND WHILE THE NOVEL REMAS ONLY ONE STORY AMONG THOANDS OF OTHER QUEER ARAB STORI WAG TO BE TOLD, THE END, THE ONLY STORY EACH OF N TELL—THE ONLY BODY WE OWN—IS OUR OWN.SALEEM HADDAD IS THE THOR OF THE NEW NOVEL GUAPA PUBLISHED THIS SPRG BY OTHER PRS. SALEEM HADDAD
• SDI GAY SCENE: 'FORBIDN, BUT I N'T HELP IT'
• ‘ETERNALS’ ACTOR HAAZ SLEIMAN ON BEG ARAB AND OPENLY GAY THE MCU, THE FILM’S ‘IGNORANT’ BAN MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRI (EXCLUSIVE)
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

YOUR ULTIMATE EAST COAST GAY ROAD TRIP GUI

It’s really the bt of both worlds, meang you n kick off your road trip wh a round of pool at Blackston, the olst gay bar town, and follow wh chic cktails at Jewel Box, a sparkly cktail bar that seems perpetually drsed for prom — f wh twkly lights and pops of pk. Or there's always a chee tray and rosé all day at Rebel Rebel, a Bow Market we bar whose webse perfectly and proudly proclaims: “Leave your misogyny, your homophobia, your racism, your classism, your ableism, your patriarchy, your genr bias, and all your other bullsh at the door, 'e that sh will get you kicked out real quick. ”Pair queer history and happy hour New York CyHome to p gay bars, LGBTQIA-owned rtrants, queer galleri, and gayborhoods so wispread that the entire metropolis is one big rabow-hued blur, New York Cy is a mt-vis mec on any gay pilgrimage.

GAYT PLAC IN IOWA FOR 2020

If you’re passg through and scratchg the surface, your queer agenda might clu a stop at SoHo’s Llie-Lohman Mm, a stimulatg showse for queer artists and blatantly gay artwork, while bnch uld clu New Mexin burros at queer-owned Ursula, a vibrant Brooklyn fe known for hostg queer bnch events.

For an afternoon snack, satisfy your sweet tooth wh a key lime pie-spired mermaid sundae om Big Gay Ice Cream before takg some important history at the New York Cy AIDS Memorial and Stonewall Natnal Monument — the latter of which is a stone’s throw om Cubbyhole, a “straight-iendly” lbian bar wh a bang’ happy hour.

Like Boston and NYC, Philly is a cy steeped history and rich wh progrsive LGBTQIA-iendly polics, nightlife, bs, and gayborhoods, like s most famo enclave, Washgton Square Wt. While most of the cy is stnchly liberal and queer-iendly, a brief sojourn the Cy of Brotherly Love should foc on downtown’s gayt alve, where you n relax the six-acre Washgton Square Park or admire the magnolias on the lh grounds outsi the historic Pe Buildg.

THE MYTH OF THE QUEER ARAB LIFEEVOLVINGFOR MOST PEOPLE THE WT LIFE THE ARAB WORLD FOR GAY PEOPLE IS HARD TO FATHOM. IT IS, LIKE MANY OTHER PARTS OF LIFE THIS REGN, PLITED.SALEEM HADDADUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 6:56PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 02, 2016 12:01AM EDT FACEBOOKONE OF MY FAVORE TELEVISN SHOWS GROWG UP WAS A RAMADAN SPECIAL FEATURG AN EGYPTIAN PERFORMER LLED SHERIHAN. ONE YEAR SHE HAD A RAMADAN SPECIAL LLED ‘SHERIHAN AROUND THE WORLD’, A TWENTY-MUTE SGG AND DANCG EXTRAVAGANZA, WHICH HAD HER DRSG EXQUISE STUM OM AROUND THE WORLD AND PERFORMG ELABORATE SONG AND DANCE ROUT. SHERIHAN WAS A WOMAN, BUT SHE WAS THE BT DRAG QUEEN I HAD EVER SEEN: MP, SELF-AWARE, AND FABULO. SHE HAD PLANTED ME, WHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, THE FIRST SEEDS OF MY OWN GAY INTY.TWELVE YEARS LATER, WHEN I WAS LIVG AMMAN, MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME. I WAS BEG TOO OPEN WH MY SEXUALY, HE SAID. I HAD NFID TOO MANY PEOPLE. BEG WH ME WAS BEG DANGERO. I TOLD HIM THAT NO ONE WOULD KILL , LET ALONE THREATEN . THE JORDANIAN POLICE DON’T HAVE A HISTORY OF TARGETG GAY MEN, I REASONED, PECIALLY THOSE OF OUR SOCIAL CLASS. BUT THAT WASN’T THE DANGER, HE EXPLAED. THE DANGER WAS THAT BEG SEEN WH ME WAS MAKG PEOPLE THK HE WAS ‘GAY’. AND HE DID NOT WANT TO BE SEEN AS ‘GAY’.I DID NOT SEE THIS TRANSFORMATN G, BUT HAPPENED. THE ‘GAY INTY’ HAD UNKNOWGLY BEEN GROWG SI ME LIKE A TUMOR, UNTIL SUDNLY ONE MORNG I WOKE UP AND REALIZED I WAS FECTED, AND THE DISEASE WAS TERMAL. I HAD BEE SOMEONE WHO INTIFIED AS ‘GAY’.I BLAMED SHERIHAN. AFTER ALL, SHE STARTED THIS MS. ***MANY ARABS WHO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC DO NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’, ‘LBIAN’, OR ‘BISEXUAL’. FOR EVERY QUEER ARAB WHO HAS FORMULATED THEIR SENSE OF SELF BY WATCHG ‘WILL AND GRACE’ AND ‘PARIS IS BURNG’ ARE UNTLS OTHERS WHO DO NOT FEEL IS UNUAL TO ENGAGE SAME-SEX PRACTIC AND REMA UNNNECTED TO THE WORD ‘GAY’. EVEN AMONGST THOSE WHO MAY FEEL AT HOME THEIR GAY INTY, THE NOTN OF PUBLICLY G OUT RGS HOLLOW A CULTURE WHERE WHO YOU SHARE YOUR BED WH IS A PRIVATE MATTER.LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE THE WORLD, SEXUAL INTI THE MIDDLE EAST TERSECT WH CLASS, GENR, AND THE PLEX TERPLAY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, MAKG IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEAK OF A SGULAR ‘QUEER ARAB’ EXPERIENCE. THERE ARE A MULTU OF QUEER ARAB EXPERIENC: OM GENR RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PROVIDG UNRGROUND ABORTN SERVIC TO LONG ROMANTIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN BEDOU MEN SIWA, EACH QUEER LIFE THE ARAB WORLD IS UNIQUE. TRYG TO WRE ABOUT A SGULAR GAY ARAB EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, AS ONE LEBANE GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST PUT , THE EQUIVALENT OF “WRG A STORY ABOUT GAY LIFE THE US, AND JT TERVIEWG SOMEONE OM THE WTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH, A CLOSETED TEENAGER NEBRASKA, AND ADAM LAMBERT.” DPE THIS, QUEER ARAB BODI HAVE BEE A BATTLEGROUND A MUCH LARGER WAR. AFTER ALL, IS NO SECRET THAT BOTH LIBERALS AND NSERVATIV NORTH AMERI AND EUROPE HAVE, SCE 9/11, WAVED THE FLAG OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS, AND TO A LSER GREE LGBT RIGHTS, AS A WAY TO GA WTERN PUBLIC SUPPORT TO WAGE WARS THE MIDDLE EAST. IMAG AND STORI OF OPPRSED AFGHAN WOMEN DROVE THE LL TO WAR 2001, AND THE MORE RECENT FOOTAGE OF ISIS THROWG GAY MEN OFF TOWERS AND ENSLAVG YEZIDI WOMEN STOKED THE FIR OF TERVENTN SYRIA.QUEER ARABS FACE A DUAL STGGLE: WE ARE BATTLG OPPRSIVE FORC WH OUR OWN MUNI, AND WE ARE ALSO RISTG THE GLOBAL NARRATIVE THAT TRI TO E OUR “OPPRSN” FOR BROAR ARY OR POLIL GOALS.THE QUTN THEN BE: WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?***WHOUT MY BOYIEND BY MY SI, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WH MY DAYS. I CHA-SMOKED AND CRIED MY BEDROOM. AT WORK, I WROTE LONG, RAMBLG E-MAILS TO MYSELF ABOUT WHAT VALUE A PRIVATE RELATNSHIP WOULD HAVE IF ULD NOT BE CELEBRATED PUBLICLY, THE SAME WAY THE RELATNSHIPS OF MY STRAIGHT IENDS WERE BEG CELEBRATED THE LAVISH WEDDGS I ATTEND EVERY OTHER NIGHT.IN THE AFTERNOONS, I WATCHED OPRAH, BEE SHE SEEMED TO HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS. BUT THEN A FEMIST IEND TOLD ME THAT OPRAH PROPAGAT AN DIVIDUALISM THAT GO AGAST THE LLECTIVIST VALU NEED TO ADDRS STCTURAL PROBLEMS LIKE HOMOPHOBIA AND PATRIARCHY.“BIS, YOU STILL HAVE EASIER THAN WOMEN,” SHE SAID. “AT LEAST YOU N RENT A HOTEL ROOM WH A GUY AND NO ONE WILL ASK TO SEE MARRIAGE DOCUMENTS. AT LEAST, AS A MAN, YOU N LEAVE THE HOE THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHOUT ANYONE BREATHG DOWN YOUR NECK.”I SHAVED MY HEAD, BEE I FELT THAT A SHAVED HEAD MIGHT MAKE ME LS GAY.“IS THIS BETTER?” I ASKED MY BOYIEND.“NO,” HE RPOND. “I’M SORRY.”***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?ON MAY 11TH, 2001, 52 MEN WERE ARRTED EGYPT. THE MEN WERE ABOARD THE QUEEN BOAT, A FLOATG NIGHTCLUB ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE. THE MEN WERE CHARGED WH “OBSCENE BEHAVUR”, BEATEN, AND FORCED TO UNRGO HUIATG EXAMATNS TO TERME THEIR SEXUALY.THE STORY REMAED THE HEADL FOR MONTHS. IMAG OF THE MEN WERE PLASTERED ON ERNMENT NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISN SCREENS. IN ONE PARTICULAR PHOTO, THE MEN WERE DRSED WHE, CRAMMED TOGETHER A GE AS THEY WAED FOR THEIR SENTENCE. MOST OF THE MEN HAD VERED THEIR FAC WH WHE CLOTH A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY.THE BODI OF THE ‘CAIRO 52’, AS THEY HAD BEEN LLED, BEME A BATTLEGROUND FOR AMICS, TELLECTUALS AND RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO PROJECT THEIR OWN THEORI ABOUT QUEER LIV THE ARAB WORLD. THE NMNATN AND SHAMG OF THE MEN BEME A WAY TO BRG SOME LEGIMACY TO PRINT MUBARAK’S RPT REGIME. WTERN LGBT ANIZATNS AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AMED THE RAID AS THE ARAB WORLD’S STONEWALL, WH ONE GROUP STAGG A PROTT AT THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY PARIS WH SIGNS MANDG THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT “EE OUR LOVERS”. MEANWHILE, ANTI-IMPERIALIST CRICS LIKE JOSEPH MASSAD ARGUED THAT WASN’T THE SAME-SEX SEXUAL PRACTIC THE EGYPTIAN ERNMENT WAS ATTACKG, BUT RATHER “THE SOC-POLIL INTIFITN OF THE PRACTIC WH THE WTERN INTY OF GAYNS.” AFTER ALL, HE SAID, THE MEN DID NOT INTIFY AS ‘GAY’. IN FACT, THEY SPERATELY HID THEIR FAC. “THE ARE HARDLY MANIFTATNS OF GAY PRI OR GAY LIBERATN,” HE ARGUED.THE 52 MEN, THEIR FAC VERED WHE CLOTH, WERE FURTHER OBSCURED AS THEIR LIV BEME POLIL SRG RDS: FOR THORARIAN REGIM, ISLAMISTS, WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI?WHEN ISIS THREW TWO MEN OFF A TOWER LAST YEAR AS PUNISHMENT FOR BEG GAY, WTERN MEDIA FUELLED TERNATNAL OUTRAGE AGAST THE TERRORIST ANISATN. BUT AMONG GAY IENDS THE MIDDLE EAST, THE CINT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THEM. “ISIS DID NOT KILL THOSE GUYS AS A MSAGE TO ,” A GAY IEND TOLD ME AS WE DRANK G AND SLIM-LE TONICS A BAR BEIT, LS THAN 90 OM HOMS, WHERE THE CINT TOOK PLACE. “THE MSAGE WAS MEANT FOR THE WT: ISIS WANTED TO SHOW THAT THEY STOOD AGAST EVERYTHG THE WT BELIEVED .”IN OTHER WORDS, ISIS’S MSAGE WAS THE POLIL EQUIVALENT OF “COME AT ME, BRO.” QUEER BODI FLUNG OFF A TOWER ARE A FOOTNOTE A LARGER POLIL AND ARY BRO-DOWN.WHEN I FIRST READ ABOUT THE CINT, I WANTED TO KNOW HOW THE MEN WERE UGHT. WAS JT A VIC LIE SPREAD BY SOMEONE WH A PERSONAL VENTTA? WERE THOSE MEN A RELATNSHIP WH EACH OTHER? WERE THEY LOVE, AND IF SO, DID THEY HAVE ANY DREAMS? OR WAS JT A QUICKIE A DARK ALLEYWAY? I WANTED TO KNOW MORE. BUT AS I OPENED MY BROWSER, I BEGAN TO WORRY THAT, GIVEN MY ARAB BACKGROUND, PERHAPS SEARCHG ABOUT ‘ISIS’ AND ‘SYRIA’ MAY FLAG ME UP TO SOME WTERN TELLIGENCE OFFICERS AS A TERRORIST THREAT, AND I ALREADY HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE TRAVELG ACROSS BORRS AS WAS. MAYBE ’S BETTER NOT TO KNOW, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF AS I CLOSED THE BROWSER.LATER THAT WEEK, THE SAME LEBANE IEND LOOKED UP OM HIS PHONE AND SAID TO ME: “THE ONE GOOD THG ABOUT HAVG SO MANY SYRIAN REFUGE LEBANON IS THAT YOU N FD SOME GEO SYRIAN RTS ON GRDR.”HE WAS CHATTG TO ONE AS HE SAID THIS. HE VED THE MAN OVER LATER THAT EVENG.THE SYRIAN MAN ARRIVED. THEY CHATTED FOR A WHILE. THE SYRIAN MAN EXPLAED HOW HE HAD PED SYRIA AND WAS TRYG TO MAKE SOME MONEY TO SUPPORT HIS MOTHER. UPON HEARG THIS STORY, MY IEND’S AROAL DAMPENED, AND AS THE RT WENT FOR A KISS, MY IEND PULLED BACK.“NO,” MY IEND SAID. “I’M SORRY I N’T DO THIS.”“PLEASE KISS ME,” THE SYRIAN SAID. “YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON, I KNOW .”“NO, I DON’T,” MY IEND SAID. HE PUT $100 THE MAN’S HANDS. “PLEASE TAKE THIS AND GO.”“I DON’T WANT THE MONEY,” THE SYRIAN MAN SAID, BURSTG TO TEARS. “I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU. BUT NOW YOU THK I’M A BAD PERSON.”ISIS KILLS GAY PEOPLE. ASSAD CREAT GAY REFUGE.***IN 2012, 36 MEN WERE ARRTED A CEMA BOURJ HAMMOUD, A NEIGHBOURHOOD BEIT. CEMA PLAZA WAS A NOTOR CISG SPOT FOR GAY MEN. THE RAID HAPPENED AFTER A SIAR CEMA TRIPOLI, A WORKG CLASS CY NORTHERN LEBANON, WAS EXPOSED A LEBANE TELEVISN SHOW LLED ‘INTA HURR’ (‘YOU ARE FREE’). NEHER THE POLICE NOR THE MEDIA PAID ANY ATTENTN TO THE MULTU OF GAY BARS THE MORE UPSLE NEIGHBOURHOODS OF BEIT.IN RPONSE TO THE RAIDS, LEBANE GAY ACTIVISTS RELEASED PICTUR OF THE HOST OF THE TV PROGRAMME PARTYG A GAY NIGHTCLUB MYKONOS. THE HOST SHOT BACK, SAYG THAT HIS PRIVACY WAS VAD. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE TELEVISN STATN THAT AIRED THE SHOW, THE HOST CLAIMED THAT HE “WILL NOT APOLOGISE [FOR EXPOSG THE CEMAS], BEE THE BREACH OF PUBLIC MORALY IS ONE THG, AND SEXUAL EEDOM IS SOMETHG ELSE.”THE MSAGE WAS CLEAR: PRIVACY IS A LUXURY THAT IS ONLY AFFORD TO THOSE WHO N PAY FOR . IF YOU HAVE MONEY YOU N BUY YOURSELF A GAY INTY MYKONOS. IF NOT, THEN HEAD TO A NDOWN CEMA AND HOPE FOR THE BT.***WHO OWNS QUEER ARAB BODI? IS THE THORARIAN REGIM WHO TRAMPLE ON QUEER BODI FOR MORAL LEGIMACY, THE JIHADISTS WHO BURNISH THEIR RELIG CRENTIALS BY TOSSG THE BODI OFF THE HIGHT TOWERS, THE WTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS WHO ENFORCE THEIR OWN NARRATIV TO ‘SAVE’ THE BODI, THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST AMICS WHO ARGUE THAT THE BODI ARE NAIVELY ADOPTG LONIALIST DISURS, THE NEONSERVATIV WHO SHAKE AD QUEER BODI ONT OF THEIR NSTUENTS TO JTIFY WARS AND OCCUPATNS, OR THE RICH WHO DICTATE THE LE BETWEEN SEXUAL EEDOM AND PUBLIC MORALY?AS A QUEER PERSON THE ARAB WORLD, EVERYWHERE YOU TURN SOMEONE WANTS TO E YOUR BODY, YOUR STORY, OR YOUR LIFE FOR THEIR OWN PURPOS.***IN ONE SCENE MY NOVEL, RASA—A YOUNG GAY ARAB— OUT TO HIS LLEGE IEND AMERI. SHE RPONDS BY ASKG IF HE IS AT RISK OF BEG KILLED IF HE RETURNS TO THE MIDDLE EAST.“I DON’T THK SO,” RASA REPLI. HE PS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ADDG, “LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV.”A FEW MONTHS AFTER MY BOYIEND BROKE UP WH ME, I CID TO MOVE TO EUROPE.I DID NOT LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE ANYONE WAS GOG TO KILL ME.I LEFT BEE I WANTED A WTERN PASSPORT THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO TRAVEL WHOUT HAVG TO BOOK VISA APPOTMENTS MONTHS ADVANCE, WHOUT HAVG TO PREPARE E STATEMENTS AND LETTERS OM EMPLOYERS AND HOTEL BOOKGS AND RETURN TICKETS. I LEFT BEE I WANTED A PASSPORT THAT WOULD GIVE ME PROTECTN, A PASSPORT THAT WOULD RAISE THE VALUE OF MY LIFE THE GLOBAL HIERARCHY.I LEFT BEE I FELT THAT THE REGN WAS KNEE-EP TRATN AND HOPELSNS, THAT THGS WERE GOG TO LLAPSE, AND THAT WH MY ARAB PASSPORT I WOULD HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. I LEFT BEE I KNEW ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THE WORLD DO NOT RE ABOUT ARAB AND MLIM BODI WASHG UP ON THE SHOR OF THE MEDERRANEAN.I LEFT BEE I WAS TIRED OF FDG WAYS TO JTIFY WHY I HAD TO KEEP MY GAY INTY HIDN, AND I FELT THAT MY SEXUALY WAS BEG YET ANOTHER WEAPON THAT ULD BE ED AGAST ME: IF SOMEONE VELOPED A PERSONAL VENTTA AGAST ME; IF I SPOKE OUT OF LE; IF I ENGAGED THE WRONG KD OF POLICS; IF I WAS NOT A GOOD CIZEN WHO SHUT UP AND TOOK . I LEFT BEE MY SEXUALY HAD BEE YET ANOTHER KNIFE HELD AGAST MY THROAT.HERE ARE OTHER KNIV HELD AGAST PEOPLE’S THROATS: BEG A REFUGEE ON A BOAT THE MEDERRANEAN. BEG A BLACK MAN THE U.S. BEG A PALTIAN ISRAEL. BEG A WOMAN PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE.TWENTY YEARS AFTER I FIRST SAW SHERIHAN DANCG ON TV, I ME ACROSS A YOUTUBE VIO OF HER LEADG THE CROWDS A CHANT TAHRIR SQUARE 2011. MY DRAG MOTHER HAD JOED THE REVOLUTN FOR EEDOM AND DIGNY. WATCHG THIS WHILE STG LONDON, I ULDN’T HELP BUT SE. WE HAD E FULL-CIRCLE, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, NAIVELY ASSUMG THAT THE WORST OF THE VLENCE WAS OVER. LISTEN, PEOPLE DON’T JT KILL EACH OTHER LIKE YOU HEAR ON TV. I DIDN’T LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST BEE I FEARED FOR MY LIFE. I LEFT BEE I WAS PG ANOTHER SORT OF ATH.***THE TTH IS, I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, WHENEVER I OPENED THE MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT, I THOUGHT OF MY PARENTS, AND THE SHAME MY FATHER WOULD FEEL AS HIS SON EXPOSED HIMSELF SO OPENLY.I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE, AS MY FGERS HOVERED OVER MY ENGLISH LANGUAGE KEYBOARD, MY THOUGHTS TURNED TO VAR ARTICL, OPN PIEC AND BOOKS WRTEN BY SOME ARABS AND MLIMS WTERN MEDIA; PIEC THAT DULGED NARRATIV OF OPPRSN AND TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR SEXUAL LIBERATN THE ARAB WORLD; STORI THAT PANRED TO ORIENTALIST FANTASI AND ISLAMOPHOBIC STEREOTYP. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT GET ME TAED AND TERROGATED EVERY TIME I PASS THROUGH AN AMERIN AIRPORT. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT JTIFY CLOSG BORRS TO REFUGE FLEEG WAR ZON. THE SAME FANTASI AND STEREOTYP THAT HELP WTERN CIZENS SLEEP EASY AT NIGHT AS THEIR ERNMENTS DROP BOMBS ON YEMEN, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, SYRIA, PALTE AND IRAQ. I ALMOST DIDN’T WRE MY NOVEL BEE I FEARED THAT WRG WOULD MAKE MORE DIFFICULT TO GO BACK TO THE ARAB WORLD, THE PLACE I LL HOME AND THAT I LOVE ABOVE ALL ELSE.BUT NOT TO HAVE WRTEN MY NOVEL WOULD BE TO ADM FEAT TO ALL OF THE FORC. AND WHILE THE NOVEL REMAS ONLY ONE STORY AMONG THOANDS OF OTHER QUEER ARAB STORI WAG TO BE TOLD, THE END, THE ONLY STORY EACH OF N TELL—THE ONLY BODY WE OWN—IS OUR OWN.SALEEM HADDAD IS THE THOR OF THE NEW NOVEL GUAPA PUBLISHED THIS SPRG BY OTHER PRS. SALEEM HADDAD

When all that leisurely strollg has built up an appete, wd down at any number of Washgton Square Wt rtrants, like Double Knot for Japane small plat and cktails, or wood-oven pizza at LGBTQIA-owned outsi wh pri Richmond, VirgiaKeepg the theme of historic Amerin ci led wh brick buildgs and cute bbltone streets, Richmond is more of an unrrated gem — pecially as a gay statn.

This is the kd of cy that offers somethg for everyone, be shoppg for rabow prts and lbian stickers at Lady Street Studs; drkg the history (and the Poe-spired cktails) at historic Ln Row Inn, a former Edgar Allen Poe hnt-turned-LGBTQIA-iendly mastay; eatg “Gay-Fil-A” chicken sandwich om Cobra Cabana, wh proceeds gog to support Virgia’s queer youth; or takg the outdoorsy route wh a tranquil hike on the Butterk Trail and a dip the Jam River.

Nowadays, ’s home to gay-iendly hotels like the Raleigh Marrtt Cy Center, which offers Pri and Joy upl packag, and inic queer shops, like The Green Monkey, a quirky queer-owned store wh kschy war, beer on tap, and drag shows.

SDI GAY SCENE: 'FORBIDN, BUT I N'T HELP IT'

” Then dance off the pimiento wh a night unr the dis ball at Legends Nightclub, the cy’s olst gay dner a pk mansn Savannah, GeiaDraped Spanish moss and filled wh historic archecture, bbltone streets, and astal cuise, Savannah is a sgular Amerin cy oozg nate romance and charm.

‘ETERNALS’ ACTOR HAAZ SLEIMAN ON BEG ARAB AND OPENLY GAY THE MCU, THE FILM’S ‘IGNORANT’ BAN MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRI (EXCLUSIVE)

Along wh the larger Geian metropolis of Atlanta, this is a cy that’s been at the foreont of progrs and cln the Deep South, and while lacks the multu of gay bars found ATL (save for the mt-vis Club One), what you’ll fd is a more wispread and hive sense of warmth and wele. Orlando is the ultimate road trip stopover, wh endls gay-iendly thgs to do Disney World, a global pneer of clivy and merriment that’s been champng LGBTQIA+ rights for s by hostg events like Gay Days Orlando and overloadg s gift shops wh Pri merch.

Today, Orlando is filled wh gay bars and clubs for dancg — Southern Nights and SAVOY are star attractns — or you n keep quat wh a romantic scenic boat cise through Wter Park’s nals, and bnch at LGBTQIA-owned Se7en B where the pearl sugar waffl may not be Mickey-shaped, but they’re still Miami-style wh drag shows, art, and clubs1, 600 later, there’s no better place to p off an epic road trip than Miami, a verable Oz of gay bars and drag queens. The Magic Cy, all s vibrant queerns and omniprent art, is the perfect end pot, and an ial settg which to ret and recharge — assumg your method of rettg volv over-the-top drag bnch, pool parti, and gay nightclubs that stay pumpg until 5 am.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

For somethg a b lmer, Miami’s sheer size ensur you’ll fd fort and cln anywhere, om the queer artist murals at Wynwood Walls to the immersive and lorful photo ops at Superblue and the Lat beats at gay nightclub Azur near Coral Gabl.

Meet like-md members wh terts Gay Arabs, Gay Mlim Datg, Gay Mlims, Gay Arabic, Gay Iranians, Gay Egyptians, Gay Persians, Gay Armenians, Gay Afghans, Gay Iraqis.