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10 Queer and Trans People of Color Organizations to Support this Pride

In this month of Pride, it is vital to support not only queer organizations, but organizations that specifically benefit Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPoC). QTPoC have been leading the fight for equality in the LGBTQ+ community since the beginning and yet have been the most marginalized. I’ve compiled a list of organizations that directly serve these communities, both for folks who might need them and for anyone who may want to support them. I’ve already donated to a couple of these this month and look forward to giving more. I encourage you to do the same!

Nine Date Adventures in Paris

Seeing as this was our third trip to the “City of Lights,” we didn’t feel the need to go to the super-touristy spots that had felt essential on our previous visits. Instead, we talked to our travel-minded friends, did some internet sleuthing, and even put an ask out to our followers for some off-the-beaten-path recommendations. The result was six days of Parisian bliss, broken up into what felt like tiny date adventures. So if you’re planning a trip to France with someone special, here are “Nine Date Adventures in Paris.”

“Beignet, done that.” — Four Days in New Orleans

When choosing our birthday destination this year, we had three criteria: 1) A place that was close enough to NYC that we could make a long weekend out of it; 2) A place we’d never visited (or in my case, had only visited as a child); and 3) A place that was gay friendly.

7 Touristy Things To Do in NYC That Are Actually Worth It

As someone who’s lived in New York City for most of my life, I’ve covered a lot of ground. With the city spanning over 300-square miles, I’m constantly discovering new places to enjoy. And while there are certainly tourist traps, there are also a lot of places that are touristy for a reason.

Ask Me Anything

Last night, I did an “Ask Me Anything!” on Instagram and I got a TON of amazing questions. I wanted to go more in depth on some of these and answer some of the questions that merited more than a 140-character response, so I figured this would be a great place expand on them.

LifestyleAndrew Keenan-BolgerMarch 3, 2019paleo, skincare, theater, lgbt, gay, instagram, photography, coming out, fashion, asos, kiehl's, mario madescue, newsies, broadwayComment

Catskills Getaway – Scribner's Lodge

One of the best wedding gifts that Scott and I received was a gift certificate to Scribner’s Lodge in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Built in the 1960s, the lodge is widely regarded as one of the best hotels in the region — and with good reason!

Andrew & Scott's Wedding in the Catskills: The Ceremony

Being a same-sex couple already made our wedding somewhat untraditional, and we loved the freedom we had to tailor the weekend to our own tastes. Unsurprisingly, the ceremony was perhaps the least by-the-book. When planning the big day, we actually started by looking at the format of a “traditional” ceremony.

Andrew & Scott's Wedding in the Catskills: The First Look

When we were choosing a wedding photographer, one of the first people we considered was Emilio Madrid-Kuser. He’s a frequent sight on opening nights and the theater community events as the in-house photographer for Broadway.com, and he’s photographed Scott and I on the red carpet a bunch of times.

Andrew & Scott's Wedding in the Catskills: The Night Before/Getting Ready

Last October, Scott and I got married at the beautiful North Branch Inn up in the Catskill Mountains. We decided to have a small wedding — only forty friends and family — and knew we wanted to have it at a place where it would feel like a weekend retreat.

Chiang Mai – Thailand’s Culture Capital

When we first started planning our honeymoon, the first thing we agreed on was that we wanted to meet elephants. We’d both had fantasies of seeing an elephant up close — and were pretty sure we would both burst into tears.

Koh Yao Noi – Desert Island Paradise

Visiting Thailand for the first time, we decided to stick pretty close to the tourist guidebook, but we wanted at least a couple days off the beaten path. Searching for some more remote destinations in addition to Phuket and Bangkok, we discovered the island of Koh Yao Noi, just east of Phuket, which remains mostly untouched by tourist operations.

Phuket — Dream Beach Destination

After leaving the bustling metropolis of Bangkok, our first stop was the popular beachside island of Phuket. Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, is the rainforest-covered home to many of Thailand’s high-end seaside resorts. Our first stop was the Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa.

Bangkok – The Pearl of Southeast Asia

Flying to Thailand from the United States is not for the faint of heart. Even with a nearly direct flight, it is a seriously long trip — about 23 hours door to door from New York City. Our biggest splurge of the entire honeymoon was booking business class seats on Philippine Airlines.

Honeymoon in Thailand

When Scott and I got engaged in the fall of 2017, we had our mind set on planning the wedding ceremony, but we were just as excited to plan the big trip we would take after. Scott and I love traveling — we always say that we’re happiest as a couple when we’re exploring a new place together.

NYC Pride 2018

For Pride this year, Scott and I did a little staycation in the city for the weekend. We stayed at the new Hilton Embassy Suites in midtown, just steps from the parade route. Hilton has been a long standing supporter of the LGBT community, making it a optimal place to stay for Pride events.

Lifestyle, TravelAndrew Keenan-BolgerJune 30, 2018gay, lgbt, pride, parade, hilton, hotel, Most Popular