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Baby, it’s cold outside—but last night, midtown was heating up! Digital LGBTQIA+ publication So.Gay took over Italian hotspot Alessa for its sleek “The Hottest Of The Year” party, celebrating its successes since launching this June.
During the after-dark affair hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Hughes, guests gathered across Alessa’s two floors while toasting the site and posing for snapshots by Vincenzo Dimino and Devin Kasparian. Cocktails from 21 Seeds Tequila and house wines kept attendees refreshed while mingling, dancing, and enjoying the restaurant’s signature pizzas, risotto balls, housemade meatballs, and mushroom toasts. For a dash of flirty fun, LGBTQIA+ dating app Archer Dating partnered with So.Gay for the event, distributing physical QR codes that guests could scan to join.
“In just 6 months, So.Gay has grown to not only be a 1.5 million+ strong community of readers online, but also a fantastic in-person community of artists, filmmakers, writers, editors, photographers, models, influencers, and creatives,” Hughes exclusively told The Daily Front Row. “Our inaugural ‘The Hottest Of The Year’ party celebrated this fantastic community we’ve built, and setting the stage for next year which will be even bigger and better—think honors, awards, and formally celebrating individuals and brands that our community sees as ‘The Hottest Of The Year’.”
Serena Shahidi, Spencer Thomas
Nicole Cancel, Will Verritt, Kiel Tutlin
However, “The Hottest Ever” is just the beginning! Hughes shared that more events are in the works for So.Gay throughout 2025. We’ll look out for our invites!
“Our brand is 365 days a year, celebrating and uplifting the 18 to 34-year-old multicultural queer community that isn’t properly represented in traditional media,” Hughes shared. “From educational panels we have in development, more celebrity VIP parties, as well as consumer-facing events and experiences as we continue to grow. We’re continuing to look for and partner with fantastic brand partners—like Archer—who can help bring So.Gay’s mission to life with our fantastic in-person community.”
Evan Kline, Lucas Stowe
Mikey Graceffa, Yung Merlot
Guests included Ian Michael Crumm, Athan Chekas-Maniscalco, Drew Maniscalco, Lucas Stowe, Greg Holtzman, Dylan Kelly, Zizi Strater, Joel Calfee, Waled Atwa, Corin Christian, Shane Anderson, Serena Shahidi, Spencer Thomas, Joseph Angelo, Dennis Chimeri, Kiel Tutin, Matthew Cancel, Vincenzo Dimino, Will Verritt, Fran Martin, Jack Ryan, Spencer Hoddeson, Kiara Simon, Cullen Parrish, Alexander Hankin, Nicole Cancel, Steven Morea, Ryan Shocket, Michael Graceffa, Jae Gurley, Evan Kline, Yung Merlot, Nikki Harrigan, Louis Dorantes, Smit Pujara, Woody Miller, Merlot, Daniel K. Isaac, Christopher Griffin, Gaven Simon, Chloe Philips, Michael Kleinmann, David Marin, Blake Harrell, Diego Gonzalez-Zuniga, Chengbo Xing, Michael May, Andrew Brala, Luis Fernando, Troy Meaz, Dylan Scott Kevitch, Michael Zakar, Zak Zakar, Matthew Conrado, Holden Akerley, Jimmy Pezzino, Matthew Cruz, Michael Kaye, Zachary Olewnicki, Smit Pujara, Michale Kleinmann, Andrew Pagonis, Julian Andrew, Jim Mauro, Mike McQuillen, Matthew Mata, Riley Villamor, Royandrew Tomko, Mac Joseph, Dougie Huston, and more.
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