Jeff Leavell
Jeff Leavell is a writer living in Los Angeles and Berlin. He writes about queer culture, politics and nightlife. His book, Accidental Warlocks, is available on amazon.com. You can find him at his website, jeffleavell.com, or on Instagram.
I’ve Gotten Super into Queer Afterhours Parties in My 50s
In Los Angeles, the afterhours scene is creating some of the most radical queer spaces I’ve ever seen.
The Heartbreaking Instagram Where People Remember Loved Ones Who Died of AIDS
"Looking at the photos, I felt like the whole world was falling down around me. I had an overwhelming feeling of loss and devastation, and had to go to the bathroom so that no one would see me crying."
My Search for Meaning After the Death of My Ex-Boyfriend
Though Jon and I were no longer in the same three-way relationship, we still lived together, and his loss has caused me indescribable pain.
The Death of Stephanie Yellowhair and the Resilience of the Queer Spirit
The woman who introduced the world to the phrase "excuse my beauty" passed away last month. Her legacy is one of staying strong in the face of petty discrimination.
An Ode to Craigslist Hookups
It's been a long time since I used Craigslist to find sex, but I'm still saddened by the death of its personals section.
How Anonymous Sex with Strangers Helped Me Find My Way in a New City
When I first moved to LA, the loneliness was overwhelming. Cruising changed everything.
'Dragula' Is Loud, Weird, and Pisses on Heteronormativity
On the filthiest drag competition online, contestants chug blood and pummel one another in a thunderdome. And that, in a way, is the future of queer politics.
When Toxic Masculinity Infects Our Queer Spaces, We All Lose
I made a meme about how annoying "masc" gay parties are. But the response it got said more about the gay community than my joke ever could.
The Freedom and Beauty I Found Cruising for Sex
Throughout my life, I've found moments of serendipity, romance, and connection while cruising that will stay with me forever.
It’s Time to Stop Labeling Our Sexuality
In the queer community, it's all too easy to box ourselves in with labels like "daddy" and "boy." But if we don't break those stereotypes down, we'll never move forward.
The Underground Queer Nightlife Scene Sets the Bar for Tolerance
Parties like Lights Down Low in LA or Gegen in Berlin are perhaps where I'm the happiest—places where differences among us are nearly erased, and reality becomes what you make of it.
How I Make My Mixed HIV Status Relationship Work
I'm HIV positive, but my partner is not. And though science has rendered that difference medically negligible, it's hard to shed decades of stigma overnight.