2025 NYC Pride Guide - Flipbook - Page 54
SHE MET HER WIFE AT HER FIRST PRIDE –
AND NOW THEY TRAVEL THE WORLD TOGETHER
It was Pride 2015, and something electric was in the air at
NYC Pride. The Supreme Court
had just ruled in favor of marriage equality, and queer joy
spilled across sidewalks. Even
though it was her first Pride
ever, Shanna knew that it was
something special that year.
What she didn’t know? She
was about to meet the love of
her life.
When Shanna ended up seeking shelter from the rain in the
West Village at the Cubbyhole,
Gabi noticed her right away.
“That girl is really cute.” But
Shanna was surrounded by
friends, and Gabi didn’t want
to interrupt. So she waited for
her moment.
She found her moment when
she spotted Shana alone at the
bar. She found her icebreaker after seeing Shanna’s tarot
card tattoo, naked woman and
all. From there, the conversation flowed quickly and easily,
and they hit it off.
“We were in this totally
packed bar, but the energy
between us just clicked,”
Shanna said.
After talking for over an hour,
they connected on Instagram
before fading into the crowd. It
would be a couple brushes with
fate later until they reconnected
that December, courtesy of an
ugly sweater holiday post. They
set a date, ended up kissing on a
couch in a now-closed East Village restaurant, and have been
together ever since.
“Being visible is a way of
rising up,” says Shanna.
“Protest can be joy, connection,
tenderness.” That message hits
harder this year as Pride unfolds
amid attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.
“You fight back by marching,
voting, donating — but also by
celebrating and living fully,” Gabi
adds. “Joy is resistance too.”
Nearly a decade later, Shanna and Gabi are better known
as @27Travels, a lesbian travel
content duo with thousands of
followers. Whether navigating a
new continent or reliving their
Pride traditions in the West
Village - which would be visiting
the Cubbyhole jukebox and then
ordering a “Marsha P. Johnson”
slice at Two Boots pizza - their
love and joy is
evident and visible.
Their dream? To host a travel show spotlighting LGBTQ+
voices and queer joy around the
globe. This July, they’re headed
to Peru to cross Machu Picchu
off their list. From the outside,
@27Travels is about documenting the world. But look closer,
and you’ll see it’s also about
Shanna and Gabi’s joy, visibility,
and choosing love in times of
celebration in the community –
and in times of protest.
“People tell us they never saw a lesbian couple travel the world
before us,” Gabi said. “That’s why we keep doing it.”
Follow along their journeys at @27Travels and 27travels.com
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nycpride.org
