No matter where you live, you probably have a friend who is the ringleader. This friend is the one who gets everyone together, the organizer. They might also be the one who tends to feed people. In some places, this kind of friend is a rarity. And when you don’t have a friend like this, their absence is obvious.

I wanted to share a new piece I have up in the South Florida Gay News about my friend Shane who is such an organizer. It discusses the importance of the queer community brunches they hosted while they lived in Miami. Oh, and there’s a quick shout out to S. Bear Bergman, who’s also awesome.

I could write much more about how Miami’s sprawl makes the region unlivable in some ways. Among its many other problems, car culture makes it difficult to make and keep friends. But for now, I’ll leave it here. I’m grateful that Shane introduced me to so many of my friends in this city, and I’m so glad that South Florida Gay News agreed to publish this piece.