GAY TIMES Magazine

22 December 2023

Mere days after we countdown, kiss and clink glasses to ring in the New Year, the wellness prerogative – the pressure to ditch the booze, cigs and daily full English – kicks in. Realistically, many of us could do with living a healthier lifestyle, and taking sensible steps in that direction should be celebrated. But an all-or-nothing approach that villainises all of life’s simple (and guilty) pleasures isn’t the answer. That’s why the January 2024 issue of GAY TIMES looks to reframe wellness and instead focus on the spaces where we find joy and escapism, all while reflecting on the harmful messaging around mental health and body image which many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community are exposed to. Kicking things off is DJ and equine it girl horsegiirL. Rejecting the poe-facedness of the Berlin scene, she discusses her vibrant and inclusive online and IRL community while starring in her first cover shoot. The in-person conversation charts her journey from beginnings in the club underground to going viral on TikTok, as well as reflecting on her reverence among a new generation of clubbers who want their beats harder, faster and stronger thanks to the return of once-maligned genres like happy hardcore and donk.