editing
Hinterhaus
Editor-in-Chief, 2022 – present
Many people make underground music happen. Club culture exists thanks to countless people working behind the scenes, often without attention or thanks. Hinterhaus shares their stories.
Developed as an offshoot of the Berlin-based music label SEVEN, Hinterhaus is a new magazine that uplifts and empowers people in the music scene.
We seek stories from those in all nightlife areas: breakout DJs (not just famous ones), promoters, safety workers, door selectors, artists, and more. We value diversity and positivity and believe that cool comes in many forms.
Made in and for Berlin, with love.
EqualPride
Contributing Editor, 2016 – present
My work at EqualPride (formerly Pride Media)—the parent company of The Advocate, Out Magazine, and other landmark queer publications—has evolved over the years.
I started as a columnist and contributing editor at The Advocate in 2016, when I launched the "Sexy Beast" column for Advocate.com. I now write the "Last Call" column in Out Magazine and contribute regularly to other titles in the EqualPride family.
The Saint Foundation
Editor-in-Chief, Researcher, 2019 – 2020
The Saint Foundation was founded to protect New York City nightlife memorabilia—a difficult task, since most items sought and preserved were initially meant to be discarded: posters, invitations, set lists, costumes, vinyl, and more.
The best minds of New York nightlife in the 1980s were lost to AIDS, and sadly, much of their work was lost with them. The Saint Foundation's archives exist to tell a lost history.
The organisation is an arm of The Saint at Large, the production company behind the Black Party, a legendary gay dance party that has happened yearly in New York around the vernal equinox since 1981. Thanks to the dedication of a few nightlife enthusiasts, The Saint Foundation has original art by Mapplethorpe, Haring, Warhol, and other luminaries, and has digitised music sets and recordings from some of New York's most famous DJs.
I worked on an oral history project for the archives, finding and interviewing men who experienced the city's fabled past.
Fort Troff
Creative Director, Editor-in-Chief, 2016 – 2019
Fort Troff is a premiere maker of sex toys and fetish gear for queer men. The Atlanta-based company has grown from its origins as a notorious sex club (the original Fort Troff) to a global brand with customers on every continent.
My work as creative director involved wearing many hats. I was lead copywriter, site editor, UX designer, product consultant, customer service manager, roadie, security, event coordinator, and more, all in one.
To better market to younger audiences, I redid the brand's voice and wrote (or re-wrote) all site content, product copy, and packaging copy. I also ran the brand's social media, directed its promotional videos, led the team at events and conferences, and launched the brand's first and only blog.
The challenges of promoting a site filled with explicit content were numerous—namely, we could not link directly to the online shop on Facebook or other social platforms. To work around this, I launched the blog as a safe-for-work site focused on culture and education, interviewing artists, experts, and performers for content that generated high traffic to the site and was Facebook-safe.
Sadly, this mission was not maintained after I left. The blog is now NSFW, and Fort Troff has been banned from Facebook.
Gay Chic Magazine
Associate Editor, 2009 – 2016
My first job in media was for Gay Chic Magazine, Chicago's first all-digital queer lifestyle and culture magazine. In its brief run, we profiled local celebrities and tastemakers and offered refreshingly diverse, sex-forward content. Sadly, the publication lost necessary funds and shut down in 2016.