I want to take a moment for a little gratitude — because this week was truly one of those pinch-me moments. I had the incredible honor of becoming the first woman ever on the cover of Hotspots Magazine, a publication that has been part of our LGBTQ+ community for nearly 40 years. That’s not just a personal milestone… that’s community history. The cover was unveiled at the beautiful gallery of ArtsUnited, surrounded by friends, chosen family, and so many people who have supported me along this journey.
I want to give a heartfelt thank you to the owners of Hotspots and Happening Out, Jeff Sterling and Darren Loli, and to Scott Holland for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to represent our community in such a meaningful way. A huge thank you as well to the incredibly talented photographer Dennis Dean for capturing the image that made the cover so special, and to everyone who came out to celebrate the unveiling — the love in that room meant the world to me.
Moments like this don’t happen alone. They happen because of community, support, and people lifting each other up. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. And remember — when our community celebrates each other, that’s when history gets made.
