editing
Hinterhaus
Editor-in-Chief, 2022 — present
Many people make Berlin nightlife. Our after-dark culture exists thanks to countless humans working behind the scenes, many of whom never get enough attention or thanks. Hinterhaus aims to share their stories.
Hinterhaus is a new magazine whose mission is to uplift and empower Berlin with profiles of the people who make it great. We seek stories from people in all nightlife areas: breakout DJs (not just famous ones), agents, promoters, sound engineers, safety workers, performance artists, care workers, and more. We value diversity and positivity. We believe 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 LGBTQ publications — has evolved over time. I began 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 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 challenging task, as most items sought and preserved were intended to be discardable: posters, printed invites, set lists, costumes, vinyl, and more.
Adding to the challenge is the fact that the greatest 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 organization is an arm of The Saint at Large, the production company behind the Black Party — a legendary gay dance that has occurred every year in New York since 1981. Thanks to the dedication of some dedicated nightlife enthusiasts, The Saint Foundation has preserved original art by Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and other gay luminaries, and it has digitised music sets and recordings from some of New York's most famous DJs.
I worked on an oral history project for the organization's blog: I found and interviewed men who experienced New York's storied past.
Fort Troff
Creative Director, Editor-in-Chief, 2016 — 2019
Fort Troff is a premiere maker of sex toys and fetish gear for gay and queer men. The Atlanta-based business has grown from its origin as a legendary sex club (the original Fort Troff) into a global brand with customers on every continent.
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 more.
I redid the brand's voice and wrote (or re-wrote) all site content, product copy, packaging copy, and more. I 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 imagery were numerous — namely, we could not link to the online store on Facebook or other social media platforms. To work around this, I launched the blog as a safe-for-work site focused on sex education and interviewed artists, experts, and adult film stars for content that generated high traffic to the site — and was Facebook-safe.
Sadly, this mission was not maintained after I left the company. The blog is now NSFW, and 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. In 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 vital funds and shut down in 2015.