OUTSpoken: My First Time

Gary O'Brien's latest essay explores the very first time he summoned the courage to venture to Fire Island.  What would teenage Gary see and experience? What importance do our sacred LGBTQ+ spaces hold for each one of us as we sanctify our identities for the first time in the presence of others who are just like us? My First Time is a loving essay to the youth in each of us who brave forward to discovering who we are.