GAYLETTER

Meet Joey, the 22 year-old Miami born, San Antonio bred, New Yorker. One of 12 children, Joey came out to his siblings at age 14 — though they claim to have known way before he did. That being said, he isn’t the only gay man in the family, his eldest brother likes men too, but there’s “No lesbians, [in the family] unfortunately.”

He is currently a practice manager, studying tax law and accounting at an NYC firm, but spends his free time exploring multiple artistic mediums. “I don’t have a definite dream job. Instead I have my own silly idea of a balanced schedule. To me having this corporate job provides an opportunity to balance not only my financial sanity but comfortably explore my artistic needs as a composer who ‘models’.” He balances work and play, “I tend to invest a lot of my ‘free’ time into art. Using the daylight for photo-shoot’s whether that is directing, modeling or make-up and at night to composing on the piano in a recording studio with friends. So to me, art is my free time.”

Joey first kissed a boy when he was a freshman in high school, but wasn’t necessarily dating at the time. “It took me a while before I found an example of commitment within our community,” he said. The same can definitely be said about New York. What’s monogamy anyways? Joey, though not that sexually active as a teenager  — thanks to his monitored upbringing —  has experimented with women, twice! That being said, he is more interested in the mentality of a man, but “As a blonde white Hispanic boy with blue eyes, I do feel a certain attraction to Latino’s and men with tattoos. I am a sucker for fit confident tatted man.” He thinks a man who can dance salsa is sexy too.

His ideal date is anything physically draining, “I prefer active dates. I like athletic men. Swimming, kayaking, Rock climbing, surfing just something to make each of us excited but exhausted enough to bring those internal walls down and speak honestly. When it comes to my preference in men, I would say it has more to do with their ability to communicate with me emotionally rather than having big muscles.”

Joey likes his own deep-set eyes, and his strong brow, “When someone notices my eyes, it must mean I’ve picked my head up and I’m showing confidence.”  When he’s feeling masc, he likes a Jack and Coke, “with a splash of amaretto,” and if he’s beaching it, “It’s a daiquiri on the rocks.” When it comes to his beauty routine he washes his face daily, and when it’s time to go to bed, he sleeps in Stewie Griffin pajamas, year round. He’s certainly not a high maintenance boy, which is always refreshing.

Lastly, Joey is family orientated, so if you’re looking to get married and have a fam, we’re sure Joey would be into that. “Something I have grown accustom too, thanks to my Latin mother, is to never accept ‘no’ as the answer. I live in hopes of being an example to [my family], and making them proud. I could die happy if that’s all I accomplished in this world.” How sweet!

We asked Joey to take a few selfies wearing our Classic GAYLETTER T-shirt and some shirtless, of course. He told us that his cat MiMi really wanted to be part of the shoot. He didn’t want to leave him alone while he was taking these pictures. They are very sweet, have a look…