editing
Hinterhaus Berlin
Editor-in-Chief, 2022 — present
Many people make Berlin nightlife. Our party culture exists thanks to countless humans working behind the scenes, many who never get enough spotlight. HINTERHAUS aims to know them better and share their stories.
Our mission is to uplift and empower the Berlin scene with positive, inspiring articles and interviews. We want stories from those working in all areas of nightlife: breakout DJs (not just famous ones), agents, promoters, sound engineers, safety workers, performance artists, care team workers, and more. For artists with established personas, we are more interested in the other side: their pasts, passions, and lives outside the club.
We value diversity and positivity. We believe cool comes in many forms. This magazine is made in and for Berlin, with love.
EqualPride
Contributing Editor, 2016 — present
My work at EqualPride (formerly Pride Media) — parent company of The Advocate, Out Magazine, and other publications — has evolved over time. I started as a columnist and contributing editor at The Advocate in 2016, when I launched the "Sexy Beast" column for Advocate.com. To date, the column has generated the site's best traffic and continues to do so. I currently write the "Last Call" column in print issues of Out Magazine and contribute 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 daunting task, since most items sought were intended to be temporary or fully discardable: event posters, invites, setlists, costumes, vinyl records, and more.
The best minds of New York nightlife in the 70s and 80s were lost to AIDS and much of their work was lost with them. The Saint Foundation's archives tell a list history.
The organisation is an arm of The Saint at Large, the company behind the annual Black Party in New York City. Thanks to the dedication of a few nightlife enthusiasts, The Saint Foundation has preserved an impressive collection that includes original art by Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and other lost luminaries.
I worked on an oral history project for the organisation's blog: I found and interviewed men who experienced New York's storied disco past. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic and other financial factors shuttered most of the organisation's work in 2020.
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 brand has grown from its origins as a small sex shop inside a legendary Atlanta sex club (the original Fort Troff) to a global brand known for its punk look and high-quality products.
My work as creative director involved wearing many hats: lead copywriter, site editor, UX designer, product consultant, customer service manager, roadie, security, event coordinator, and many more. I redid the brand's voice and wrote (or re-wrote) all site content, product copy, packaging copy, and more. I ran social media, directed its sexy promotional videos, led the road 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 to the online store on Facebook or other social platforms. To fix this, I launched the blog as a safe-for-work site focused on sex education. To that end, I interviewed artists, experts, and porn stars for content that generated high traffic to the site and was Facebook-safe. Sadly, this effort was not maintained after I left, and the blog is now NSFW. Fort Troff has been banned from Facebook.
Gay Chic Magazine
Associate Editor, 2009 — 2015
My first job in media was for Gay Chic Magazine, Chicago's first all-digital queer lifestyle publication. During its brief run, the magazine profiled local celebrities and tastemakers. I offered readers edgy but practical advice in my monthly sex column. Sadly, the publication lost funds and shuttered in 2015.