Out writer Moises Mendez II in Barcelona with landmarks Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló
Moises Mendez II
Back in 2023, I took a trip with 25 of my family members across five countries in two weeks, which was planned by a travel agency in the Dominican Republic that my mom and aunts used on a trip to Dubai two years earlier. But after this hellish trip (mainly due to my extended family’s big personalities), I decided I’m never traveling with them again — so I needed a do-over. This solo trip back to Barcelona truly delivered everything I was craving and more. Keep Reading →
Courtesy WienTourismus/Julius Hirtzberger; Paul Bauer; Christian Stemper
With a population of just over 2 million, Vienna is a city of precision and poetry. It’s known as the classical music capital of the world, and for good reason: Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss all lived and worked here, and their influence lingers in the city’s ornate opera houses, concert halls, and grand boulevards. But the rhythm of Austria’s capital city is felt beyond its music. From the candlelit charm of its UNESCO-listed coffeehouses to the lush vineyards nestled within its city limits, Vienna moves with quiet elegance and enthusiasm. Keep Reading →
As a Black trans woman, solo travel comes with more than just worrying if folks are pitying me for being alone at a bar. It often comes with anxiety — and for good reason, as anti-trans rhetoric and legislation continue to infiltrate communities across the country. But it took a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, for me to realize that solo travel may not only become a standard in my life but something I prefer. Keep Reading →
“It looks like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude,” my partner observed as we marveled at the Dawes Glacier, which filled our view from the deck of the Holland America cruise ship. Keep Reading →
Outsized poppies and a larger-than-life Glinda greet visitors at The Venetian Resort Waterfall Atrium in Las Vegas. The installation went live on August 28 and complements The Wizard of Oz at Sphere experience, where the beloved 1939 film is reimagined for the venue’s 240-foot-tall screen with immersive elements. For two short days in August, my colleague, friend, and fellow Wizard of Oz superfan, Out Editor in Chief Daniel Reynolds, and I skipped through the Sphere. Keep Reading →
On Highway 90, between the shrimp boats and the neon of the casinos, there's a quiet kind of resistance. The type that pulses under dance floors, tucked behind unmarked doors. Gay bars on the Mississippi Gulf Coast don't wear their pride like big-city clubs. They don't have rainbow flags stretching across intersections or drag brunches advertised on billboards. They live low to the ground, out of sight but very much alive. Keep Reading →
A new travel and lifestyle brand wants to bring your kink out of the closet and onto the high seas — as well as resorts, events, and other getaways. Keep Reading →
Drag queens in golden fringe dazzle the crowd at the 50th Invasion of the Pines.
Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for Tryst Hospitality
The wigs were unmissable from the Fire Island Pines marina, bright pink dots on the horizon that grew larger as the ferry neared the dock. The vessel’s upper deck teemed with drag: magenta beehives, fantastic fascinators, white-gloved hands waving at the cheering crowd on shore. Keep Reading →
“Zurich is a beautiful city,” declares Swiss-born fashion and nightlife trailblazer Susanne Bartsch, who knows a thing or two about beauty. “I just love the culture — how they’re living life, the whole culture of hanging out. I feel like they really stop and smell the roses.” Keep Reading →
Courtesy Gene Phillips for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Atlanta doesn't need to shout to make itself known. The capital of Georgia, this dynamic metro of more than six million—including around half a million within the city limits—quietly asserts its place at the intersection of history, culture, and creativity. Often described as a “Black mecca,” Atlanta has long been a center of Black excellence in the South, home to a thriving African American cultural, economic, and political scene. Its LGBTQ+ community is just as vibrant, with one of the largest Pride festivals in the country and a network of queer-owned spaces that fuel the city's creative pulse. Keep Reading →
Author Michael Dru Kelley celebrating his successful ascent of Guatape near Medellin (left), and climbing to waterfalls near Santa Marta, Colombia
Courtesy Michael Dru Kelley
If you, like me, are among the millions of Americans who feel our existence is threatened by the rightward political shift in the United States, then you may already be considering a temporary—or permanent—escape from this country. As a writer and “digital nomad,” I recently had the opportunity to spend two months in Colombia, which provided a taste of what life could be like outside the U.S. After my time there, I can offer several reasons to consider Colombia as a possible haven for a temporary respite, or even a permanent relocation. Keep Reading →