This weekend is the last chance to enter The Our Time to Shine Contest, which offers a fabulous trip to New York City's Pride festivities for the winner and two friends.
One of the largest and most exciting Pride celebrations in the world is in New York City. Haven't been yet? Well, now is your chance. Here Media, the parent company of Out magazine, is offering a four-day/three-night trip (June 27-30) to the Big Apple to the winner of The Our Time to Shine Contest, sponsored by Midori. All you have to do is show us your pride.
How to enter? It's simple. Upload a photo of you and two friends to Instagram or Twitter with a caption that tells us why your friends make you proud. And remember to tag it with #ourtimetoshine. The trio will receive round-trip fare from anywhere in the U.S. to New York for the Pride celebration of a lifetime, which will include hotel accommodations, $250 per day to cover expenses for each person, and tickets to the legendary "Dance on the Pier." Check out the full contest rules and regulations here. Good luck! And hurry, the contest ends Sunday, June 1.
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 →
Charlotte, N.C., in winter: Festivals, outdoor, & holiday magic for LGBTQ+ travelers
Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
Charlotte, N.C. may reign in summer with Pride and queer-friendly activities! But when the temperature cools down and the air turns crisp in the Queen City, she reveals another side — a queen in her winter crown, radiant with festivals, lights, and seasonal charm. 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 →
Every major city has an if-you-know-you-know cruising spot. It could be a specific gym bathroom or a secluded spot in a public park, but some spots are easier to score at than others. Now, data ranks which city has the best cruising spots, thanks to a new study from Erobella. Keep Reading →
Tracy E. Gilchrist and Sandra Valls, star of Real Women Have Curves
courtesy Tracy E. Gilchrist
It’s the first day of Pride Month, and Restaurant Row in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen is electric with anticipation. In a week, Broadway’s finest will descend on Radio City Music Hall for the Tony Awards. Showtunes emanate from the storied piano bar Don’t Tell Mama — a ballad from Jesus Christ Superstar here, a showstopper from Wicked there. Suddenly, I’ve wandered in, a negroni in hand, and I’m belting along. New York City in June is a fusion of the Tony Awards and Pride, and it’s idyllic for theater gays like me. 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 →
