Hello Mr.

­We all have this tendency to over-analyze things. Getting over the these internal debates comes down to disregarding your doubts and accepting things as they are. Our fifth cover mister, Mike Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, sings ballads about learning to be okay. He tells us mental rest is a slow unraveling – one that takes time and is never perfect. Daniel Franzese, also in this issue, is a poster boy for self-acceptance. He went from closeted, self-conscious adolescent to undaunted, out-and-proud activist. Sex, the ultimate comfort barometer, takes center stage in a number of stories this issue, addressing the ways we seek sanctuary in others and exploring the difficulties of opening up to someone when you’re busy fighting the noise in your own head. We can try to quiet that inner-dialogue and learn to live with it, or we can turn it into something constructive – a photo, a story, a song, or a magazine – that champions the struggle we all share, coming into our own.