Priscilla Blossom

Why wait until June for Pride? Oregon’s Winter Pride is kicking off March 6.
I was at a vision boarding party last year at a lesbian-owned bookstore (shoutout to Denver’s Petals & Pages) when I realized one of my goals for 2024 was to attend more queer events—especially for Pride. As Pride is generally in June, though, I figured I’d have to wait a while. That is, until I got an email inviting me to check out Winter PrideFest in Bend, Oregon.
What’s Winter Pride Fest, you ask? Just another gay...

Every child eventually becomes curious about where they come from. While their school’s human growth and development class might cover the basics of egg meets sperm, they don’t often include information about the many ways families are made.
So how do you explain to your child that you sought out a sperm donor for their conception? How do you tell them you needed a surrogate to carry them to term? How will kids react to this information?
Related:
What the sperm banks won’t tell you: Inside th...

If you grew up in the 1990s, there’s a good chance you spent at least one or more sick days home from school (or work) watching “Jerry Springer.” From the cheering (“Jerry! Jerry!”) and bizarre guests that make you feel better about your life choices, to the inevitable on-screen fights, this was the epitome of trashy television. Some might even say America wouldn’t be in the predicament it’s in today (with reality show popularity at an all-time high and even a former reality TV star returning...

Plastic is cheap, easy to clean and comes in an array of fun colors, making it a popular choice for kitchen staples ranging from colanders to salad spinners to spatulas. Lately, however, there have been growing concerns about microplastics flaking off our cutting boards and into our food. Is it time to start swapping them out for wooden chopping boards and utensils?
“Wooden kitchen utensils are a natural substance which have been heat-treated to perform specific tasks in the kitchen, from spo...

Engage with Denver’s rich Latine heritage and culture during your visit.
By Priscilla Blossom

Nearly a decade ago, I booked a couple of flights to Denver for an anniversary trip with my spouse. At 5,280 feet in altitude, landlocked, with proximity to mountains, breweries galore, and legalized cannabis, it felt like the antithesis of my hometown of Miami. We loved it so much that just two months later, we packed up our belongings into my Subaru (the unofficial car of Colorado) and drove cross-...

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In small towns (and on endearing television shows like Gilmore Girls), a town hall is where people go to hash out important issues and find community. In cities, however, such places rarely exist. Cue Town Hall Collaborative, a woman-owned event space and marketplace in Baker that’s been working to fill that gap since 2022.
Today, Town Hall hosts regular vegan nights (put on by Indoor Cat...

Latinas are subjected to negative messages around weight, skin color, and culture that affect how they see themselves. It's time that changed.
In second grade, I thought the slim, blonde, blue-eyed girl with the fairest skin in the whole class was the definition of pretty. While I grew up in Miami, a majority Latine city, I quickly saw how society valued my classmate’s features. This message was everywhere. There was Full House, which was basically an advertisement for blonde hair. Or at home...

What experts say about rip currents, dry drowning and puddle jumpers.

Pool parties, beach trips, lakeside getaways, river rafting, water parks — the summer is full of aquatic adventures. But with that comes being aware of the risks that water poses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1 through 4, with adults age 65 and older having the second-highest rate of drowning. Moreover, drowning deaths have sharp...

It’s easy to get lost in the glitz and glam of Miami.
After all, the city draws in people from all over with the lure of gorgeous beachfront hotels, award-winning restaurants and bars, and high art and fashion. But even budget-conscious travelers can find plenty to do in the Magic City if they know where to look. Whether you're on a strict monetary diet or just looking to save some dollars in this metropolitan wonderland, here are the best Miami activities that won't cost you a thing.
1. Pack...

Miami in the 1970s and 80s was a much more chaotic place than today, and that is in part because of a woman named Griselda Blanco. Known as La Madrina (or The Godmother), Blanco rose to become the city’s biggest cocaine dealer, leaving a path of death and destruction in her wake. Given the amount of films and shows made about some of history’s most notorious narcos, like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo, it was only a matter of time before someone made a quality story for the screen about the most ...

Make ‘more queer travel’ one of your New Years resolutions.
They say history helps us better understand our present day world, but what happens when your history isn’t always quite as visible and celebrated? Queer folks know that our histories have long been hidden, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t always been here. And in more recent years, there have been efforts to uncover our past. So where’s a lesbian looking to polish up on her queer history to go? Try adding these places that blend his...

No matter how good a swimmer you are, there are going to be times you’ll need to wear a life jacket. In fact, you probably need one more often than you think. These life-saving devices aren’t just for emergencies — they're considered standard practice for a number of water activities.
So when should you strap on a life jacket? What signs tell you that a life jacket isn't safe to wear? And are things like swim vests, or even water wings for kids, just as good? Here’s what experts have to say.
...

Steeped in American history and culture, Philadelphia is a popular destination for kids and families from all over.
On any given day, the City of Brotherly Love draws in countless history buffs, art lovers, and sports fans, as well as class trips from neighboring towns. But Philadelphia’s bragging rights don’t end there: It’s also home to the oldest zoo in the country, an interactive science museum, plenty of outdoor spaces, plus an endless supply of soft pretzels and water ice (or, as the lo...

Summer’s almost here, which means it's time to pack your bags for some well-deserved downtime. But whether you’re traveling alone, with a partner or the extended family, there’s one thing you won’t be able to avoid: germs. As people travel, they carry, pick up and leave behind all kinds of things that can cause illness. And yes, despite the warmer weather, there are still plenty of bugs going around.
But it’s not just the risk of coming home with a cold — or spending your entire beach getaway...

A sponsored content article for Virtuoso in collaboration with Holland America Line