Author: Read with Pride

Let’s talk about something that sits at the uncomfortable intersection of queer visibility and capitalism: luxury gay fashion. You know, those $200 harnesses, $150 pride-themed sneakers, and designer jockstraps that cost more than your monthly gym membership. Are we celebrating liberation or just getting really good at monetizing it? It’s complicated: and like the best …

Luxury vs. Liberation: The Price of High-End Gay FashionRead More

There’s something magical about running your fingers along a rack of vintage clothing, breathing in that distinct smell of old fabric and possibility. The musty scent of decades past, the whisper of silk against your fingertips, the sudden flash of sequins catching afternoon light through dusty windows. For queer folks, thrift shops have always been …

The Vintage Soul: Scouring Thrift Shops for Queer HistoryRead More

Let’s be real: the beach can feel like a catwalk you never auditioned for. Between the sun, sand, and sea of strangers, stripping down to swimwear can trigger every body-confidence demon you’ve ever had. And for those of us in the LGBTQ+ community? Add another layer of complexity, whether it’s gender dysphoria, the pressure of …

Swimwear and Self-Love: Confidence on the BeachRead More

Let’s talk about one of the most fabulous fashion revolutions of our time: the journey of drag aesthetics from underground clubs to your local high street. If you’ve noticed that fashion has gotten bolder, brighter, and a whole lot more fun lately, you can thank drag culture for that. What started as rebellion in dimly …

The Drag Influence: From the Club to the High StreetRead More

The fashion industry is having its long-overdue identity crisis, and honestly? It’s about damn time. For decades, clothing racks have been divided into rigid binary sections, as if fabric itself had a gender. But walk into any forward-thinking boutique in 2026, and you’ll notice something revolutionary: those divisions are disappearing. Gender-fluid fashion isn’t just a …

Gender-Fluid Threads: The Future of the IndustryRead More

Let’s talk about something that shows up in MM romance so often it’s basically a trope at this point: the perfect fit. You know the scene. Two guys finally get together, and there’s this moment, sometimes whispered, sometimes thought, sometimes shown through action, where everything just clicks. Their hands fit together like puzzle pieces. Their …

The Tailor's Touch: Why Fit Matters in MM RomanceRead More

Let’s talk about that rainbow pin on your jacket. Or the pride flag keychain dangling from your bag. Maybe it’s the subtle triangle earring, the leather cuff bracelet, or even that very specific carabiner clipped to your belt loop. Yeah, we see you. Accessories have always been more than just fashion statements for the LGBTQ+ …

Accessories as Identity: More Than Just a HandbagRead More

Walk into any gay gym in West Hollywood, Chelsea, or Vauxhall on a Tuesday evening, and you’ll witness something extraordinary: a sea of men dressed almost identically. Stringer tanks that leave little to the imagination. Form-fitting joggers or compression tights. Minimalist sneakers. The occasional weightlifting belt cinched just so. It’s coordinated without coordination, a collective …

The "Gym Rat" Aesthetic: Fashion or Uniform?Read More

Look, we need to talk about queer street style because honestly? It’s having a moment. And by moment, I mean it’s basically rewriting the entire fashion playbook while straight fashion scrambles to catch up. I’ve been obsessing over what queer folks are wearing in Berlin and NYC right now, and the contrast, and surprising similarities, …

Street Style Pride: What We're Wearing in Berlin and NYCRead More

Let’s be real, fashion has always been a bit of a safe haven for queer creatives. From the studios of Alexander McQueen to the runways of Marc Jacobs, the industry has historically made space for us when other industries wouldn’t. But wanting to work in fashion and actually breaking in? That’s where things get interesting. …

Career in Couture: Breaking into the Fashion IndustryRead More

Here’s the thing about fashion: it’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be an extension of who you are, not a costume you wear to fit someone else’s vision of “acceptable.” And yet, for decades, queer folks have been told our fashion choices are “too much,” “too loud,” or “too gay”, as if being …

The Final Look: Why Being Yourself is the Ultimate TrendRead More

The first time Marcus reached for James’s hand during the benediction, his palm was sweating. Not from nerves about holding his boyfriend’s hand, they’d been together for two years and had survived meeting each other’s families, assembling IKEA furniture, and a truly disastrous attempt at adopting a rescue cat. No, this was different. This was …

The Open Door: A Brooklyn SanctuaryRead More

There’s something achingly beautiful about Rome at twilight: when the golden light catches the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and the ancient stones seem to glow with a thousand whispered prayers. But for Marco and Alessandro, that beauty comes with a price: the constant weight of secrets, the careful choreography of stolen glances, and the …

Vatican Shadows: Longing in the Eternal CityRead More

The call to prayer echoes across the medina just as Youssef’s phone buzzes with a text. “Meet me at the usual place? 7pm.” His heart does that familiar flutter, half joy, half fear, that’s become as routine as the five daily prayers themselves. Welcome to part three of our Sacred Hearts series, where we’re exploring …

Minaret Whispers: Faith and Love in MarrakechRead More

When Tradition Meets Truth David’s hands trembled as he lit the Shabbat candles, the familiar prayer catching in his throat. Beside him, Amit waited quietly, his presence both comforting and terrifying. It was their first Friday evening together in David’s apartment, and the weight of centuries seemed to press against the windows of their modern …

The Sabbath Kiss: Tradition and Truth in Tel AvivRead More

There’s something about Bangkok at dawn that feels like a permission slip to start over. Maybe it’s the way saffron-robed monks move through the morning mist, their alms bowls catching the first light. Or maybe it’s the incense curling up from street-side shrines, carrying prayers you didn’t know you needed to speak. For Kiet and …

Saffron Robes and Rainbow Hearts: Love in BangkokRead More

The confessional booth smells like old wood and half-forgotten prayers. Father Miguel presses his forehead against the latticed screen, listening to Señora Herrera confess to gossiping about her neighbor’s daughter. Again. He murmurs the familiar words of absolution, but his mind is somewhere else entirely: on a smile that makes his collar feel too tight, …

Confessional Secrets: A Padre's Heart in Buenos AiresRead More

The flute calls everyone, regardless of gender, regardless of form. In the ancient stories of Krishna, the blue-skinned god doesn’t just break rules; he dances through them, laughs at them, and transforms them into something far more beautiful than rigid boundaries could ever allow. In a modest flat in Delhi’s Hauz Khas, Rohan keeps a …

The Flute's Song: Krishna and Queer Devotion in DelhiRead More

Part 7 of the Sacred Hearts series The jacaranda trees were in full bloom the first time Thabo walked through the doors of the Rainbow Church. Purple petals carpeted the pavement like a lavender blessing, and he took it as a sign. After twenty-eight years of hiding, of praying himself straight, of pretending his heart …

Under the Jacaranda: The Rainbow Church of Jo'burgRead More

Kenji’s hand found mine as we stepped through the towering torii gate at Nezu Shrine, and I felt something shift: not dramatically, but quietly, like taking off shoes you’ve worn too long. The red lacquered gate marked more than an entrance; it was a threshold between Tokyo’s relentless pulse and something older, gentler. Something that …

Kami and Kinship: Finding Peace in a Tokyo ShrineRead More