walk in the world so the world walks into you

2026, 6.69” x 9.69” , 30 Pages

In 2023, recently sober and disillusioned with online gay dating and hookups, I decided to throw myself in to the real world in attempts to free myself of the Digital Brothel and FEEL something outside of the transactional world of “stats?” and “into’s?” that I’d been conditioned to believe was the standard as a gay dawta of the internet. I had always assumed that outside of clubs and bars, real world chance encounters were a thing of the past that had disappeared once online dating took front-and-center, streamlining the process. Why would anyone go out on a limb to talk to someone and face potential rejection when they could do it behind the safety of their phone screens? I was wrong! This zine chronicles my experiences letting the world have it’s way with me: unexpected connections with strangers, proper cruising, one impromptu low-grade hookerism, and reflections on what I learned when I decided to get off the apps and into the streets.