Relationships

The Biggest Breakup
Leonard kept calling and texting my phone, I think it's about time I let him know it was officially over. He has been in my life off and on for eleven years, he has cheated almost twenty times and like that I still take him back. Broken hearted and all, sharing so many memories I use to find it hard to break things off even with this damaged relationship he and I brewed up.
By April4 years ago in Pride
Memphis in the Rearview
It was May of 1994. I'd just turned eighteen. I'd officially come out of the closet after telling my mother I was gay. I had graduated high school. And after thirty years of marriage, my father walked out on us.
By Shannon Yarbrough4 years ago in Pride
The Sex Bubble Nobody Wants to Admit Is Happening
Whenever I think of 2020, somehow I end up thinking about the John Travolta made for TV movie in the 70s, The boy in the plastic bubble, long before he became the heartthrob from the movie Grease.
By Napoleon4 years ago in Pride
Once Upon a Time My Gay Boyfriend Abused Me and Never Knew It until Now
The Truth Shall Set You Free Recently I let go of two friends, they gaslighted me, and since drama is not my middle name, I chose to disappear in their lives.
By Napoleon4 years ago in Pride
Sitting on the Bench in Juneau Was a Promise My Ex Boyfriend Failed to Keep
Whenever I think of Alaska, I remember the TV show Northern Exposure in the 1990s. It still is one of the greatest TV shows in my book, a favorite to this day. The ensemble characters gave me my first glimpse of what life is like in rural America.
By Napoleon4 years ago in Pride
Blur
My fingertips trace the curve of a spine, and for a moment I am captivated at how smooth the skin feels. It’s the kind of touch you start and then don’t want to finish; I repeat the motion, slowly, and I hear a breath catch in response. It’s familiar but new; like finding a new rooftop in a city you thought you knew every part of.
By Shea Keating4 years ago in Pride
How Deconstructing Love Can Be Your Ticket to Happiness
I met him on Grindr. Anyone younger than I am, now that I am 52, I call— “young man.” He is 42. If I find the guy interesting — I only ask for one photo, and I send a few of mine.
By Napoleon4 years ago in Pride
An Afternoon to Remember for a Very Long Time. Top Story - September 2021.
If you are on Grindr, it is everywhere. What I mean is everyone is doing it, the thirst trap. My "process" on Grindr starts with location. It must answer a quick question, and that is,
By Napoleon4 years ago in Pride
Scars
It was November, and the crisp coastal California air started to get that chill you can only feel in your bones when winter was just around the corner. It was my boyfriend Xean’s birthday when I met Jay. My best friend Nell and I took Xean out for what ended up being a seemingly pathetic and awkward celebration dinner at one of the local café’s in Seal Beach.
By Anthony Bryan Riva4 years ago in Pride
Queering the Healing Process. Top Story - September 2021.
*This piece contains descriptions of sexual assault, and may be disturbing for some readers. Before she assaulted me, Lydia seemed like exactly the kind of person I would want to date. She was older than me, with dark eyeliner and carefully curled brown hair. She liked poetry by Emily Dickenson and hikes by the ocean. We met in the usual way: a mutual friend had ushered me casually into her dorm room before we all were set to go out to a bar for the evening.
By Katie Alafdal4 years ago in Pride
How I Dealt With Being Catfished. Top Story - September 2021.
The pandemic made me long for someone. It was three years ago when I was ghosted by my partner of three years. While it was a heartbreaking experience, I have learned to grow from that pain. I moved forward, not moved on.
By Napoleon4 years ago in Pride
Young Love with John and Raphael in John's poem
I woke up in a good mood thinking about the love poem that Raphael wrote me last night. he's always writing me these really pretty poems. I wish I could do something romantic like that! Sometimes It feels like he's the one holding this relationship together, especially since we're apart because of COVID, I can't give him the cuddles that he always wants! I pouted thinking about all of that.
By Ben Ray 4 years ago in Pride