If you like my weekly vintage gay posts and are on Pintrest, I suggest you follow Jeff Stookey. His account collects vintage images that you are certain to enjoy. I want to thank him for reaching out and sharing his account. It is rare to find photos of men of color from the past. According to Jeff’s Pintrest post, this photo dates back to the 1920s, but I’m unsure where this may have been taken or the nature of the relationship of these two men. Perhaps they are friends, or perhaps there is more than meets the eye to their relationship.
I dedicate this weekly post, featuring vintage gay photographs, to the men and women who lived in a more critical time where being true to yourself and loving who you want wasn’t always an option and came at a great price. Do you have a photo you would like to share? Email me at bosguymail@gmail.com.
Meet Ben Palacios, actor, model, and pocaster (among other things). I thought I’d feature Ben’s account because I find him very attractive and enjoy following him on Instagram. Late last year Amazon Prime carried a short movie he was in called Surfer’s Paradise which I keep meaning to watch.
In addition to having a lot of professionally taken photos of Ben, he also heavily promotes his podcast, Ask Your Gay Uncle, which also includes his gay uncle, Tom Truss. The podcast also looks interesting and I might just end up downloading it to hear what Ben and Tom have to say.
Much thanks to giants, cowboys, football, rugby and life for posting this rather curious photo of rugby players, Chris Robshaw and Chris Baumann. Unsure what they are trying to do but would welcome witty captions. Hopefully the one I’ve shared inspires you to offer up one of your own in the comment section.
Two Million by author, Alex Fear, is a quick read filled with ridiculous drama fueled by a concoction of alcohol, anxiety and depression. The story, told from Theo’s perspective, details a torrid two weeks of binge drinking as he follows Max from England to Thailand to Singapore to Taiwan. The story opens with Theo waking up hungover in Max’s hotel room, trying to piece together what happened the night before. It turns out, Theo was trying to get over a recent break up, and went out to try to forget about his ex and somehow ended up meeting Max. Theo strikes me as hurt, angry and a bit lost, which is probably why he follows Max despite his antics and appalling behavior.
Each cocktail titled chapter is filled with Max hell-bent on some outrageous behavior and Theo reluctantly tagging along. Theo has convinced himself that he stays with Max out of concern for his well-being, but I don’t buy that he would remain with such an offensively rude, self-destructive stranger. I assume he sticks around out of fear of being alone. Max is a temporary albeit terrifying anchor for Theo. Max’s attrocious behavior is mostly (there are a few exceptions) overlooked because he has an unending supply of money and loves throwing it around. At one point, I believe he refers to himself as nouveau riche, and the author, Alex Fear, takes the stereotype to some fairly outrageous limits.
The book makes for a good beach or vacation read because it has short easy to read chapters. The plot doesn’t deviate and the characters exhibit the same behavior throughout, until a surprisingly touching phone call at the end. The heavy drinking and disgraceful behavior is a bit much for me, but might make for a good read while on an Atlantis Cruise or summer vacation in Provincetown or Fire Island.
Normally, I like to give a shout out to the library and independent book stores but the book is only available on Amazon. You can order Two Million for the Kindle or paperback, here.
Louisburg Square on Beacon Hill – photo from Wikipedia page
Beacon Hill is a popular destination for visitors. It’s chock-full of history and historical sites, with some dating back to the 1600s. While Beacon Hill is considered a very desireable neighborhood and one of Boston’s (and the nation’s) wealthiest addresses, that was not always the case. As early as the late 17th century, the south slope of Beacon Hill earned the nickname, “Mount Whoredom”. From the 1930s through the 1960s, Beacon Hill was home to many nightclubs and bathhouses that catered to “pansies” who would then spill out onto the Boston Common to cruise for sex. Those days are long gone and difficult to imagine today, considering Beacon Hill’s current prim repute.
I never lived in Beacon Hill, but I spent plenty of time here especially in college and my late 20s. My most vivid memories of Beacon Hill involved the much dreaded moving days for my friend Tom who attended Suffolk University. He always seemed to live on the top floor of every building. Getting furniture up and down those tiny, twisting walk-ups was torture. I distinctly recall hurling pillows out of Tom’s 3rd story window on Joy Street, and him running back and forth in the street trying in vain to catch the flying projectiles. Moving day always resulted in a significant amount screaming profanities at each other. Fortunately, there was always a cold beer (or twelve) after the move.
Massachusetts State House sits atop Beacon Hill
About Beacon Hill Beacon Hill is home to more than 9,000 residents. Despite it’s sky high rents, many Suffolk University students and Mass General Hospital (a.k.a. MGH) residents live here. The neighborhood is also awash with State government employees and lobbyists who spend a lot of time at the Massachusetts State House. Many politicians make this their home, like former US Senator, 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate and Joe Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry who lives in Louisberg Square.
This tiny neighborhood, which barely spans a square quarter mile, is divided into three sections: the South Slope, facing Beacon Street and The Common; North Slope, facing Cambridge Street and Mass General Hospital; and the Flats, which like its name suggests is not a hill and is sandwiched between Storrow Drive (think Boston’s version of the Henry Hudson Parkway) and the Public Garden.
Acorn Street in Beacon Hill is a favorite spot to snap a photo
What to do in Beacon Hill This is an historic neighborhood known for its Federal-style rowhouses, narrow streets lit by gas lamps and bricked sidewalks. The best examples of this are Louisberg Square and Acorn Street. The neighborhood also has the good fortune of being surrounded by some of Boston’s most beautiful parks including the Boston Common, The Public Garden, and Esplanade. These parks are full of interesting sculptures like this personal favorite in The Public Garden, and in 2022 I’m looking forward to the unveilling of the Martin Luther King and Correta Scott-King memorial on The Common. The parks host many free outdoor workouts, movie nights, concerts and events throughout the year including (my favorite) free performances of Shakespeare on the Common in the summer.
When you get tired of walking around and photographing this quaint neighborhood, you’ll likely find yourself drawn to Charles Street which stretches several blocks from Beacon Street to Cambridge Street along the Flats. Here you’ll find an array of ateliers that include gift shops, antique stores, local grocers and other specialty retailers. There are also more than a few coffee shops and cafes but my favorite is the Tatte Bakery & Cafe because of its central location and outdoor seating. There is a complete list of Beacon Hill shops online here, but I recommend strolling around. It’s a short walk and to quote Boston poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”
Contrary to what NBC told you – nobody knows your name here
Food and Drink in Beacon Hill: Cheers, which is located in “The Flats” below The Hampshire House, remains the most famous establishment in Beacon Hill some thirty years after the popular NBC TV show went off air. However, there are far better places to drink and certainly better places to eat. Even though this is one of Boston’s most expensive neighborhoods, there are many good, reasonably priced restaurants. Some of my favorites are 75 Chestnut, which has a lively bar if you can nab a chair. If you’re hungry for pizza, I’ve always enjoyed Todd English’s Figs on Charles Street and right next door is the Paramount, which serves breakfast in addition to lunch and dinner daily.
Beacon Hill also has its share of fine dining if you’re in the mood to celebrate. One of the city’s best restaurants, No. 9 Park, run by Chef Barbara Lynch is just steps from the State House and is the perfect destination to share a romantic dinner. Just around the corner is one of Boston’s best hotels XV Beacon. Their restaurant, Mooo, is an excellent steakhouse, but I prefer their brunch, which they offered pre-pandemic. If you’re craving Italian, the subterranean Grotto Italian restauant behind the State House and Lydia Shire’s Scampo (technically in the West End) are favorites.
Although I rarely go to Beacon Hill for drinks, at one point in my life I clocked a lot of time at The 21st Amendment and The Sevens Ale House. Both are great pubs and fun places to meet up for a drink after work. If you’re more into wine or cocktails, go to Mooo’s bar. I’ve yet to try Peregrine, a relatively new restaurant in Beacon Hill’s newest boutique hotel, The Whitney, but it is on my list of places to try. In good weather, the best option for a drink outside is the patio at Liberty Hotel’s lounge, Alibi.
Destiny Boston is werqin‘ it at Drag Me To Brunch
Gay life in Beacon Hill: Beacon Hill is not a gay neighborhood. It hasn’t had a gay bar or shop for decades, although there are plenty LGBTQ+ residents. Prior to the pandemic, Carrie Nation in Beacon Hill had one of the best drag brunches in Boston called, Drag Me To Brunch hosted by Destiny Boston and Dee Dee de Ray on Sunday afternoons. Fingers crossed this will return later this year. As you can see from the photo above, it is predominantly attended by straight (and loud) women out for a fun afternoon rather than gay clientele.
If you happen to be new to Boston or planning a visit, reach out with questions. If you are familiar with Boston’s Beacon Hill, recommendations and comments are welcome.
Much thanks to Rob Orange who writes the blog Seduced by the New who posted this last month. It makes for a great Saturday morning coffee post, don’t you think?
ADAM & ANDY is set in the fictional New England town of Woodfield, CT. You can learn more about Adam and Andy and purchase a copy of “the definitive collection of Adam and Andy” by visiting, adamandandy.com.
Each Friday morning I post a riddle to get you to think outside the box and exercise your brain. If you are stumped, share it with a friend or colleague and see if you can figure out the answer together.
Leave your answer in the comment section. I’ll approve responses later in the day to give people a chance to respond without seeing any spoilers.
This week’s brain teaser: If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?
Are you planning a trip to New York City later this year? The New York Historical Society Museum and Library has a free, outdoor exhibit that might be of interest to you. Entitled,Safe / Haven: Gay Life in the 1950s Cherry Grove, will run from May 14 – October 11, 2021 in the Museum & Library back courtyard. Out of consideration for public health, social distancing is required and timed-entry tickets need to be reserved here.
During weekends and summers in the pre-Stonewall era, gay men and women, including many New Yorkers, traveled to the secluded beach town of Cherry Grove on Fire Island where they found opportunities for sexual exploration and self-expression—behavior that was both stigmatized and criminalized in the US. Together with creative figures like Truman Capote, W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, and Patricia Highsmith, visitors partook in costumed parties, theatrical events, and liberated atmosphere that this gay sanctuary provided. The exhibition explores the gay and lesbian community that flourished during the 1950s in Cherry Grove through some 70 enlarged photographs and additional ephemera from the unique holdings of the Cherry Grove Archives Collection.
More information about the 70 photographs that comprise this unique exhibit is available here.
Much thanks to my friend Jim L for sharing this playful photo of what I’m assuming are three friends that dates back to the 1910s. There are two lines of text embossed at the bottom of the photo that I can’t quite make out. I beleive the second line is “Eyesville” but I couldn’t find any references online and cannot be certain. Does anyone have any guesses where this may have been taken?
I dedicate this weekly post, featuring vintage gay photographs, to the men and women who lived in a more critical time where being true to yourself and loving who you want wasn’t always an option and came at a great price. Do you have a photo you would like to share? Email me at bosguymail@gmail.com.
BosGuy 
