GAYLETTER

Some friends of mine tried to have a pre-fall party way before the Fall season came, but after all the planning and talking about it, we never really got to it. Maybe for the next season… This brings me to this event that Tom pointed out to me, Queer Brooklyn Clothing Swap. A clothing swap! Perfect! I am gonna be honest with you I don’t know the people behind this event, but it says queer and we are in the same city. According to their Facebook page the folks organizing this have “a lot of clothing we don’t wear anymore. We think there might be other folks in this same predicament. How about we swap clothing?” Yeah exactly, that’s a great idea. Here’s  how it works, “free entry with (clean) clothes to swap or a light refreshment (we will never say no to food). $5 suggested donation otherwise. No one turned away for lack of funds. All leftover clothing will be donated to an LGBTQ organization (any recommendations are welcomed!).”  Basically if you can’t find things to swap it’s a great way for you to donate your clothes to a LGBT organization. This event is at someone’s home, so it’s gonna feel a bit weird at first, but then once you say hello and swap some clothes, drink some alcohol and eat some snacks I think it should be just fine. These people seem chill.  —Abi

We’ve heard from a couple of people that this party is bananas. We like parties that are bananas — they’re the ones people will be talking about when we’re old. This Friday is your chance to get bananas with the latest edition of Grace and Execution. This monthly party is dedicated “to showcasing Queer performance and dance based work.” The event provides “a platform for artists to examine queerness by exploring themes of gender, sexuality, androgyny, and the politics that surround them.” You can expect “performance/movement based work by: Olga Dobrowolska, Tyler Ashley, Elayna Lopez, Gage Of The Boone, Shawn Escarciga (MISS LADY SALAD) and Leah Marie Beltran.” Bring a good attitude and leave your privilege at home (I’ve always wanted to say that, lol), Have Fun!  —tom

This is the 28th Mix NYC — a queer experimental film festival. If you haven’t been to any of the previous festivals then this is the year to atone for your sins. Tonight you have 3 options. First up is the documentary Peace of Mind which “documents the life of American artist, Flo McGarrell, prior to his untimely death in the earthquake that struck Haiti in January of 2010.” Following that is The Fight For Home which documents the struggles for minorities to claim a home and features “Fierce drag queens” battling the Google/Twitter/Yahoo tech buses of San Francisco plus Black and Asian communities coming together in the struggle for racial justice in the aftermath of the LA Riots, Rodney King’s beating, and Tian Sheng Yu’s death. Finally there’s The Hustle which the festival is giving little information about besides a gif of Marilyn Monroe strutting through a fancy restaurant and this quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” I’m intrigued!  —tom

The RentBoy.com raid was really stoopid. Prostitution should be legalized. If someone wants to sell their affection, and body, it should be no one else’s business but their own, and in all seriousness, a site like Rentboy was a safe place for many of these workers to operate. “The Rentboy.com raid is the latest front in a state-sponsored war to criminalize the survival of people in the sex trades. Rentboy offered a safer way to work, screen clients and create community, now it no longer exists pushing those that advertised on Rentboy onto other online platforms and the street.” This Wednesday get to the LGBT Center and start to “organize around the #RentboyRaid, police profiling and violence against people in the sex trades, and the Human Trafficking Intervention Courts, along with other issues of concern to people in the sex trades in New York City.” It’s an important cause, whether you work in the industry or not. Do it for Zola!  —tom

I love a Mexican sandwich, otherwise known as a torta (she’s foreign!). They’re often filled with the flavors and textures that get me excited — avocado, chorizo, hearty black beans, melty thick cotija cheese and some heat. At Miscelánea they do Mexican sandwiches REALLY well. This newish grocery store on 4th street in the East Village only serves their sandwiches between the inconvenient hours of 11:30am to 4:00pm, which means Saturday and Sunday are the only days I can get one, but it’s worth waiting a week for these treats. Try the Huevo con Chorizo $9 it includes scrambled eggs, Mexican chorizo, refried beans, lettuce & crema fresca. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option get the Queso Oaxaca $8, and if you want to get messy order the Chilaquiles Rojos o Verdes $4.75 which is “tortilla chips soaked in your choice of red or green salsa with avocado, refried beans, cream fresca, queso fresco, red onion & cilantro.” “‘Miscelánea’ means deli in Mexico,” owner Guillaume Guevara told New York Magazine recently. This means the store is also stocked with an assortment of Mexican candies, spices, salsas and home goods. They also do Mexican coffee, which is very sweet. Stick to the sandwiches!  —tom

One of our contributors, Jeffrey, recently wrote about Jack Pierson’s Tomorrow’s Man 3 book for our site “this hybrid book-zine-porno-photo-anthology continues to Let You Know. This edition layers the works of four distinct artists, Pierson, Peter Fend, Richard Tinker and Veralyn Behenna, to create a surprising narrative about the male figure, environmental justice, and the collision of graphic collage with organic form.” The book series Tomorrow’s Man is published under Bywater Bros. Editions. “Pierson’s full color photographs are, as always, delicious. Shot in a range of naturally lit (often tropical) environments, he explores the male body with a playful precision that reveals without overwhelming — tastes without gorging.” This launch event is taking place at the newly opened Printed Matter (that new location is sexy). Aside from the 4 different covers they’ll have a special hardcover edition of 75 which includes an original signed and numbered photo by Jack Pierson. All the proceeds will benefit the Fire Island Artist Residency and Printed Matter’s relocation. We’ve been saying this for a while now, events at Printed Matter are the perfect place to meet your next date. The crowd is always cute, and cunt!  —Abi

Two weeks ago I took our GAYLETTER boys (we call the assistants or interns or anyone who helps us make GAYLETTER possible) for an art walk around west Chelsea. Before we headed to the galleries we went to the LGBT Center on 13st. to drop off some GAYLETTER magazines at the BGSQD bookstore. On the same floor we went into the Keith Haring bathroom, which if you haven’t been to, or taken a selfie in, then you are wasting your time in NYC. Some guy asked me the other day “where was that snapchat you posted with Keith Haring all over the wall?...” and I went nuts on him, telling him it was mandatory to visit if you are queer and live in NYC, but you know, I do this newsletter, so sometimes I just assume everyone is into queer art and history. Later, we headed up to the 4th floor and right across from the elevator we saw a small collection of drawings “reproduced from the Norman Shapiro Collection, exploring the question of what is appropriate to express in art and in public as it relates to our sexuality, our shibboleths and our taboos.” These erotic drawings were amazing! Colorful, clever, bold and fun — make sure you spend some time reading the text — you’ll love it. The GAYLETTER boys gagged!  —Abi

The Warwick Rowers are a rowing team from a university in the U.K. who created a naked calendar to raise money to fight homophobia. Isn’t that so sweet of them? I don’t even think they are gay. I’m sure one or two are, but I think most are straight and just really cool and caring about their gay brothers and sisters. Adorbs! This Thursday is your chance to meet 3 of the rowers at the launch event for Out Travel magazine’s Great Britain edition along with the launch of the Warwick Rowers 2016 calendar. They’re telling us to come join them “for a gin-and-tonic or two and find out more about what it is that makes Britain great.” Sounds fabulous sweetie darling. Naked rowers, gin and tonic, what more could you want from a Thursday night, one of them to fuck you? Well that’s just pushing it, they’ve done enough already! Fight your way in or RSVP here.  —tom

This is a pricey event to go to. Tickets start at $300, but it’s Grimes and she’s awesome and it’s at the Guggenheim, and it’s a fancy gala that’s likely gonna be full of fancy young people, and...well, IDK, look, if you can afford the ticket get one, but if you can’t then you should just sneak in. You’re smart, I’m sure you can figure it out. Do you think when Abi and I started GAYLETTER we we’re invited anywhere? Shit no, we talked our way into more parties than that couple that snuck into the White House in sari’s then self combusted on the Real Housewives of D.C. Pretend you’re on the phone then just walk in, bring a clipboard and ear piece, or carry a mop and say someone vomited inside and you need to go clean it up. There’s a million ways. According to their website, Grimes is putting on a “special musical performance.” It’s not just a performance it’s a “special musical” performance. And did I mention it’s at the fucking Guggenheim, that building is L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y. Frank Lloyd Wright queen. I mean, what are you waiting for?? It’s NYC, hustle hunty!  —tom