We're Dreaming of a Pink Christmas

A while ago, I had a conversation with my boyfriend that stayed with me. He's American, and just recently moved in with me in my Stockholm apartment, having lived in New York City for eight years. As I started showing him the city, I was intrigued to hear his reactions. He seemed surprised. Where were all the gay bars? Why did I seem less comfortable engaging in PDA on the subway in Stockholm than he does in New York? And where exactly, if Stockholm is so gay, were the drag queens? Stockholm's gay scene seemed poorer than my boyfriend had expected. Did he as a foreigner think I was living in some kind of gay utopia? Keep Reading →

Sweden's capital is a bounty of great restaurants, striking waterside views, and some of world-class art galleries. Oh, and then there's the shopping... herewith, a list of 6 things permanently on our Stockholm bucket list. Keep Reading →

Even before we took the Out editorial staff -- 15 of us -- to Stockholm to celebrate Midsummer's Eve last June, we knew there was something ineffably cool about a country that could produce Robyn and Abba, Lisbeth Salander and Pippy Longstocking, Alexander Skarsgard and Bjorn Borg. And then we got there, and the rest is cliche: Sweden is the coolest, sexiest, most beautiful country in the world. And, since 2009, we've even been able to get married there. (OK, we'll allow that Brazil has the best beaches and ubermensch fellas, but you have to get a visa and aren't allowed to bring anyone back to your hotel room -- for real!) In the grand scheme of things, Sweden is not a big country -- the entire population could roughly fit into New York City -- but the nation's contribution to the world is excessively good.Here, our official round up of some of the coolest things we brought home with us.Alexander Skarsgard vs. Jonas AkerlundThe star of True Blood and Lars Von Trier's upcoming Melancholia talks with the filmmaker about the Swedish conquest of Hollywood, national differences in etiquette, and why Swedes get so much sex.Shopping in Stockholm's SoFoA field trip to Scandinavia's coolest neighborhood.By Aaron Hicklin24 Hours in the IceHotelWintering in the (midnight) sun.Little DragonThis foursome's icy-hot, ultramodern funk has america calling.By Jason LamphierItaly Loves SwedenA conversation with Donatella Versace on her H&M collaborationBy William Van MeterAnton HysenA young soccer player comes out and makes history.By Aaron HicklinIt BoyMarcus Schenkenberg -- another hungry supermodel.By Aaron Krach Keep Reading →