eenie.meenie.miny.DANGER.

🤵🏾‍♂️🎭🌹🎃🎩🪄 https://www.instagram.com/p/CVs8h8ALqeP/?utm_medium=tumblr

Me in 2000, 4 months shy of coming out. Fake smiles in many pictures because I felt like I was faking who I was. Me on my 21st birthday, surrounded by a bunch of people who loved me, marking a transition to "adulthood" (or something like it). Me today, on the 21st anniversary of me coming out, celebrating a second 21st birthday, surrounded by even more people who love me (yes it still counts if it's virtual), and knowing I haven't had to fake who I am in a very long time. The latter two pictures couldn't happen without the first, so thanks 12 year old Kyle - it's all very much worth it. 💙 https://www.instagram.com/p/CVf1eAFrnvW/?utm_medium=tumblr

Gayyyyyy 😘 #getjellystayjelly #wildKylestyle #colorful #pride🌈 https://www.instagram.com/p/CPtdcDYBpUZ/?utm_medium=tumblr

A tame shot in between one more, uh...less...tame one 🙃😬🥳 Happy Birthday to @mskaylabalayla (I GUESS Happy Birthday to @romie728 as well, she did manage to get two whole ass adults to #33 and counting) Birthdays are a big deal to me because we always had the best ones growing up. Here's us being 30 years early to celebrate today's. #PorterTwinPower #Ariespower #Ariesseason #birthdayboy #birthdaygirl #getjellystayjelly #twinning https://www.instagram.com/p/CNnpVs2hYOz/?igshid=1d81a59bloaq1

I've made it 33 years in a world that doesn't often allow people like me to live the full extent of their lives (or even a fraction of it). I'm celebrating a second birthday during a pandemic that has changed life as we're used to. I'm hyper critical of myself - physically, mentally, creatively, professionally, emotionally. But I've made it 33 years. This mind, body and spirit has been carrying me through 3 decades (and counting), and I don't plan on stopping now, or any time soon. I'm incredibly grateful for every day I get, even if I don't do the best job of expressing it (I'm working on it, I promise). And I'm incredibly grateful for all of you. The ones that have seen me through it all, and are along for what's to come. Thanks for the well wishes - the early ones, the belated ones when you're reading this on the 16th, the non-existent ones... Thank you. I'm happy for how far I've come, and I'm happy for what's on the horizon. #birthday #shmaltz #sappypappy #Ariespower #tastefulnudes #grateful #getjellystayjelly #staycation (at SIXTY LES) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNl5gEeh50T/?igshid=1jesl15yi2nxg

Yet another new outfit that I thought I'd be debuting out and about but will walk the carpet of my bathmats (because we live in an apartment in NY, who has carpets?) If you're reading it you made it through the most challenging year in recent memory. Allow yourself a chance to relish that and sparkle. And I don't want to make any lofty claims for 2021 but I've got some VERY exciting stuff on the immediate horizon so... 🥳🎉😘😻✨🤴🏾 Happy New Year all! And it's been a while but please feel free to #getjellystayjelly #HappyNewYear #deuces2020 #morefunin2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CJehmK3D0A8/?igshid=13i3117vy4kqq

For obvious reasons, I didn't post nearly as much this year as I have previously (2 of these #Top9 weren't even taken this year)...but I appreciate the love nonetheless. I've got some interesting prospects on the horizon so here's to next year's adventures, Top 9 and beyond! #getjellystayjelly https://www.instagram.com/p/CIxXIWvDs0E/?igshid=1verqu3f8w4p2

DEAR 12 YEAR OLD KYLE PT. 2 You know the reality of the world we live in, and are acutely aware of how many other LGBTQIA+ kids don't make it to their 20th gay birthday. You're never ungrateful for your journey or your life. Even on the days where you get down on yourself, you're always so lucky to be funny, flourishing, flawed and yes, even occasionally flamboyant, you. You're worried you're starting to ramble or that Instagram has a word limit, so you're ready to wrap this up. (12 year old you is probably also wondering what the hell an Instagram is.) But I promise you, this is the last night you'll go to bed with the feeling that there's something wrong with you, or there's this burden you'll have forever. This isn't the last night of "Old Kyle" because you've always been (and continue to be) Kyle - but this is the beginning of True Kyle. The most magnificent and magnanimous you. We don't get to 20 years without you. And we're eternally grateful for it. I'm proud of you. I love you. Thank you. 32 Year Old Kyle PS. As always, my annual October 26th love and gratitude to Jessica and Colin for being there for that first step. PPS. If you think the rest of middle school is hard, just WAIT until you see what the world has in store for 2020. 🙈 PPPS. Instagram definitely has a word limit. 😒 (Pictured: me in early 2001, after coming out) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGyuBfWDsze/?igshid=1a2fp2dbavwzs

DEAR 12 YEAR OLD KYLE (pt. 1) Dear 12 Year Old Kyle, You don't know it now, but your life is going to change forever tomorrow. You're going to have a very strange day, fueled by standard pre-pubescent gossiping. You're going to feel odd for people who think you spread a rumor about yourself for attention. You're going to feel cared for in a way that you're not used to expressing, or having expressed to you. You're going to feel frustrated by the way things get twisted in passing, and how much messiness grows from misinformation and lying. And because of all of that, in the evening, after school on a three-way phone call, you're going to come out to the first people who aren't you. A lot happens after that - gradually, you start telling more people. Some of course hear before you tell them. Some probably never hear it, and that's more than fine with you. You start with friends because you figure if they don't accept you, you can just make new friends. You want to work your way up to telling your family. Within a year, you've told everyone in your immediate life who you want to know. The next two decades will be filled with everything life has to offer. You'll learn what really makes you passionate and inspires you (the arts), and continue to do it all your life (even when it seems like the world doesn't want you to). You'll learn about what values you hold dear (kindness, empathy, and of course humor), and which you abhor (dishonesty, discrimination). You'll like some boys who will like you back, and you'll like some boys who won't. (I wish I could tell you the former outnumbers the latter. It doesn't. Though there are some boys who don't quite know yet themselves, so don't fault them. 🙃) You'll gain some of the most valuable friendships which you still have to this day. You'll lose some people too, but not the lessons those relationships brought. You'll experience triumph. Defeat. Love. Loss. Anxiety. Hope. You'll get to the eve of the 20th anniversary of you coming out, and you'll fret about doing the journey justice, because you know how lucky you are. (Continued in next post!) (Pictured: me in early 2000, before coming out) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGytqeRjJXK/?igshid=9w6p4ae90slx

Snake? Charmer. Happy Birthday Ma! https://www.instagram.com/p/CDNN7RqpBvL/?igshid=lbinjkqttpq

So considering it's already too f**king hot and we're not even a full month into summer yet, please don't be surprised when I proceed to do the bare minimum clothing-wise. Assuming I'll even be spotted in public, it'll likely be in short shorts or see through kaftans like these. 🤷🏾‍♂️ You've been warned. #cutesummerclothes #stillhatesummer #getjellystayjelly #wildKylestyle https://www.instagram.com/p/CCzzSqQjGyx/?igshid=rwm581l65d1l

Said you want to be a #legend... A #statement... A #star... Woke up to find that my #wherelight glasses arrived and I couldn't be more thrilled. Having trouble deciding which one's my favorite! Magnetic snap on? Wooden frames? Subtle rainbow? Floral purple? Neon green? Vibrant red? Thrilled to finally be able to accessorize my frames with my outfits or moods. And impossibly affordable meant I was able to get some frames for Mama Danger as well! 😘 Thanks @where.light!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWwDsPjlSx/?igshid=10xkq8tc5togw

Selfie update: just because I barely leave the house anymore and masks make my glasses fog up doesn't mean I can't still dress to the nines for the few occasion the public sees me these days. 🤷🏾‍♂️😏 I don't have AC so the majority of my days are spent as scantily clad as possible but I do go to the store like...once a week? Anyway my new glasses are on their way because I know how to take advantage of a sale. You'll see a few more selfies soon but in the meantime enjoy these. Mask courtesy of @mskaylabalayla, two piece leopardt prindt courtesy of some targeted ad that also sent some of the wrong patterns. 😒 Mustard yellow fedora courtesy of some place on *mazon that's still hoarding my red and purple ones. #hatesummer #bootherona #hecutetho #itscalledfashionlookitup #lifesnotfair #getjellystayjelly #fashun https://www.instagram.com/p/CCNVvM9jUpZ/?igshid=1us4y4qxm4uym

Needed some new perspectives. #ruhroh #foundnewaffordableglasses #getjellystayjelly #wildKylestyle #thelegend #wherelight https://www.instagram.com/p/CBoEgX9jjyI/?igshid=hgv5qso4mlxq

Rundown of the past two months: barely put on any more clothing than this, stay up way too late, get stalked by my cat between 3-5am. Sprinkle in bits of disappointing news every few days. Repeat. Being stuck inside has had me stuck inside my head with my thoughts, but finally getting out of the funk a little and attempting to catch up on some creative/recreational projects this week. Audio, visual, written...you'll see it soon enough. On the fence about my quarantine hair situation though. I feel like the salt is trying to overtake the pepper. 😐 Ok. As you were. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBNKI8BDYok/?igshid=n286j0lklbr