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Photo courtesy Bo Shell/GA Voice
Gay-owned businesses are crucial to the makeup of a gay community, and one of our most high profile ones is menswear boutique Boy Next Door. Owner David Boswell not only loves running a “fun, exciting, sexy, unique place to shop” but is also proud of the money, gift certificates and merchandising they have donated for countless fundraisers and events over the years.
How would you define your role in Atlanta’s LGBT community?
I believe my role in the community is that of a menswear merchant. Much like fashion itself I provide a fun, exciting, sexy, unique place in which to shop—especially for our out-of-town guests, where for many a store like mine does not exist. Locally, Boy Next Door donates thousands of dollars in cash, gift certificates, and merchandise to countless fundraisers, parties, pageants, pride events, and sporting teams. We may not be a large corporate donor but we give a lot on the local level.
What do you forecast for Atlanta’s LGBT community in the next 5 to 10 years?
I do hope that the economy and the nightlife in our city gets back on track in five years—or sooner! Whether you go out or not, a vibrate nightlife helps our city and community in many ways. More money into the bars, restaurants, and shops helps keep businesses open, jobs in our community, and visitors coming back to our town.
We learn from all our experiences, both good and bad. Tell us about a negative life experience you’ve had that you learned a valuable lesson from.
Testing positive for HIV back when I turned thirty, I believe has taught me to be more appreciative of all that I have—and more importantly to be thankful for every new day that God gives me on this planet.
How has being LGBT shaped your outlook on life?
I think knowing that I was gay early on has really honed my sense of humor. I knew that if I could make the bullies laugh, more often than not at me, then that would keep them from beating me up.
Tell us a little more about yourself. What are your hobbies? What are your goals?
I moved to Midtown Atlanta in the summer of 1980 right out of high school, and have been here ever since. For fun I love to draw and create, I am a great cook and a pretty good two-stepper. One of my ultimate goals is to one day be able to legally marry the very special man currently in my life in a big ol’ church wedding in front of hundreds of friends and family.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one book you would want with you?
If stranded on a desert island the one book that I would want with me would be anything from David Sedaris. Even though I have read and reread almost everything that he has written he still makes me laugh out loud every time.
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