Pride Adventures

Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of being gay is being able to celebrate with your community at parties, parades, and events the world over.  People often ask what it's about and why we do it and "what's with the costumes and outfits?"

There is no quick answer and while the sense of being part of something bigger in a world that has historically been quite hostile is certainly a central reason, right now it feels more like a real dichotomy of celebrating advances in equality that are happening globally with protesting the horrific devolution of minority rights in places like Russia.  Somehow getting together and having a good time en masse feels like a real way to do exactly what those places don't want people to do - celebrate diversity and inclusion by showing we're proud of who we are.

This year took me to Brighton and to London for some serious celebrations.  Photos below from Brighton:

And London:

A Big London Staycation

Alas, it has been quite some time since my last post (about 9 months, in fact) and the reason is quite simple: life was epic and there wasn't time to post about it too.  That was combined with a several month computer-tastrophe that involved an eventual replacement (which is also very broken, but that's a whole different story.  Here's a snapshot of what I've been up to:

Dressing like a true American superhero:

Watching amazing street theatre in Covent Garden: 

Hanging out with the Queen:

Enjoying the spring weather:

Being mesmerized by clear blue skies:

And more clear blue skies (3 months of them, actually):

And, um, more blue skies:

And a few more:

Watching Shakespeare under the stars at the Globe:

Working here:

Getting a trendy haircut:

And keeping it:

Wearing tank tops because it was 95 degrees:

Being proud:

Meeting Kim Cattrall:

Having picnics:

Walking in the road:

More blue skies:

Admiring Lego Art:

Hanging with Penguins at night:

Getting artsy fartsy with the camera:

Tasting Whiskey:

Admiring the skyline:

Watching movies on rooftops:

More amazing skies:

Going on dates at cute pubs:

Getting secret angles of Big Ben:

Watching musicals in the park:

Going on dates on rooftops:

Watching people run the marathon:

Turning umbrellas into art:

Enjoying awesome sunsets:

From many angles:

Having this view on my front door:

More updates on the way, as well as a commitment to write more often!

-Kyle Taylor

UK Election 2010: History Made

The last few weeks have been manic. Going 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, non-stop campaigning, recruiting, organizing, and arranging. For me, it was utter bliss; a real take on Democracy in action, and the result could not have been more exciting either!

I was working for the Lb Dems as the polling day organizer/activist recruiter/proofreader/rizo operator/deliverer/branding advisor/other tasks as needed person. That last bit is the most important because as I learned, everyone sort-of does everything on a campaign. It's a big tent, many hats situation - perfect for a "jack of all trades" type!



we went into the Election the definitive "third party" and emerged as part of a coalition government - the first for Britain in a very very long time. Nick Clegg, the party leader, emerged as a genuine Political Rock Star, with thousands of traditionally reserved Britons showing up at events across the country. It was "Cleggmania!" The "Cleggcano" Erupted and we rode the wave!



Locally, we were the most successful Lib Dem party in the Greater London area, holding nearly every seat despite a massive Labour resurgence in local elections despite losing major ground nationally. Simon Hughes - the coolest MP in town - increased his majority, winning by more than 8,500 votes! He is a total Rock Star; a genuine torch-bearer of the progressive movement and just a really great guy.

This is a link to the audio of his speech, which he delivered at 7am after having been up all night with the rest of us counting more than 40,000 votes by hand! In fact, I was awake from 5am Thursday to 11pm Saturday counting ballot after endless ballot. It was Democracy in action - an amazing way to really appreciate how much every vote counts.



The last few days have been filled with retaining all the information we possibly can, and it's the Mayor's Ball on Saturday, where I'll be wearing a tuxedo that is WAY TO BIG for me! Stay tuned for photos and stories.

If you're interested in following the amazing-ness of this Election, I highly recommend The Guardian, which you can go to directly by clicking here.

Finally, a huge shout out to the entire campaigning team for all their guidance, support, and general awesomeness!!! GO TEAM!!!

Graduation - People, London and Harvey Over Politics (& Communication)

My year at the London School of Economics is over and I’ve managed to actually obtain my Master’s degree, a first for someone of the Taylor clan. It feels good. Really good. When I look back on the year, however, LSE isn’t really the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, it’s not even in the top three. My coursework itself definitely ranks in the number one spot. The reading lists were incredible, the opportunity to research and explore my areas of interest were phenomenal and the entire learning experience fundamentally changed the way I see the world, but I don’t really give the LSE too much credit for that. Yes, my department put the reading lists together but no, they didn’t really give “teaching” the subject matter much effort. No time for us. That was the theme. No time in office hours. No time in seminars. No time in lectures. Figure it out on your own. The entire institution seemed to run on the same mindset. If you can’t figure it out on your own then you’re an idiot. Even then, don’t bother us with it. We have “stuff to do.”



Next, I’d say, would be the incredible people - My “Glee Team.” We were anywhere from five to ten strong at different moments, we were wildly international, we could hold our liquor and we - without a doubt - had more fun than any other group of people at the LSE. I now have an international network of political junkies, all ready to watch each other’s backs should the need arise. In no time we’ll be running the world, which will also be super fun. If you aren’t convinced that we are the “real deal” yet, consider this: An hour before graduation we met at the campus pub to toast our success. There were literally hundreds of students on campus who had either just graduated or were just about to graduate. With all that excitement we expected a packed bar of revelers cheering each other on. Nope. Just us. In our caps and our gowns we raised our glasses to surviving and succeeding not just as individuals but as a team. That felt good.



Still ranked above the LSE would be the city of London itself. There is no place like it on the face of the earth. It is the world’s finest metropolis and - in my opinion - its capital city. From free museums to delectable cuisine from all over the world, a brilliant public transportation system to the world’s first “bicycle highway,” the best street markets in the western world to the most diverse collection of human beings known to man, London is where the heartbeat of our planet beats the loudest. I love it, and I have no doubt I will call it home again very very soon.



Finally, but not “leastly,” there is Harvey and my Channel swim experience. It started with 3 12-minute runs per week (that led to some serious huffing and puffing) and ended with $10,000 raised for a young boy in need of new prosthetic limbs and a marathon swam in the ocean. It was a life-changing experience for everyone involved and I continue to look back on the entire escapade and think to myself, “did that actually happen?” It proves that anything really is possible.



I guess LSE would slip in somewhere here. Of course, there is also GBK...and half-price movie Wednesdays. Decisions, decisions!

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Kyle Taylor

Exam Overload!

I have four exams in the next 10 days, so be advised that I won't be posting until after June 17th! I'll be taking words of advice from David Allen on study breaks. He looks pretty darn official, no?

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Kyle Taylor

London Weather EXPLAINED!

This past weekend in was cloudy, got windy, got sunny and BOILING HOT, got cloudy, poured rain with some thunder and lightening for good measure, got sunny and BOILING HOT, got cloudy, got windy then rained again all in about 8 hours. Welcome to London - 6 seasons in an afternoon. Fortunately, someone sent this link along, which explains why UK weather is so volatile. Totally exhausting, no? No wonder the weather gets so much play in uk chit-chat...

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Kyle Taylor