We have fallen in love with Max Emerson for many years. His recurring presence on Eastsiders amped up his adorableness while his popular Instagram page keeps us in thirst mode for him due to all the gorgeous photos he constantly posts.
Love, in real life, has happened for Max as he and boyfriend Andres Camilo have been one of the hottest gay relationships to emerge in recent years. They appear to be in a blissful state with one another quite often based on the stunning pics of them warmly embracing each other all over Instagram.
There’s much more to them than what is seen online. Max, who was one of the many shining LGBTQ stars to be featured in Drag Race alum Jan‘s “Rise Up” video during COVID, spoke to Instinct Magazine exclusively about his & Andres’ relationship from beginning to now. Take a look.
How did you two initially meet and was it love at first sight?
Andrés and I met in the most magical of ways. He was less than 1000 feet away (wink) on a slow Sunday morning during MLK weekend in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was definitely SOMETHING at first sight. We connected much deeper than a typical hookup, and even had our second date that night at Horsemeat Disco.
What is your favorite thing to love about him?
Andrés seems to appreciate my ability to create a sense of community amongst our friends. With Andres, I love that he’s such a stable and grounding force to match my constant chaos.
Are you monogamous or in an open relationship? How do you make either work?
As much as I share about my life publicly, I prefer to keep the more intimate details of my personal life private. It’s important to maintain something special that’s just between myself and partner. Things like topping/bottoming, monogamy, or even kink are more interesting when it’s kept special. With that said, every relationship is different and constantly changing. Although I can be a bit territorial, I have always valued honesty over everything else. It’s one of my only non-negotiables… but I’ve found it critical to create an environment free of judgement/shame/guilt/etc (as much as possible, at least) in order for an open conversation to even be possible.
What has COVID been like for the two of you? Has it brought you closer together?
COVID has been a massive challenge for us, just like it has for everyone whether they’re single or spoken for. We’ve definitely learned heaps about ourselves and each other, maybe more than we ever wanted to. In all, COVID has forced our hands in a lot of ways and fast-tracked our growth in ways beyond measure. Luckily we were up for the challenge, and so far we seem to be doing well.
Has the topic of adopting or having kids via surrogate ever come up?
We absolutely want kids! As many as we can afford to support! There’s a little too much on our plate right now to have seriously considered which route we’d like to peruse. The goal is to be dads before 40, so there’s still plenty of time.
What is the best advice you would give to anyone who is looking for love out there but hasn’t found it?
Be patient. Know your worth. Make sure you’re communicating your expectations and goals immediately and don’t tolerate disrespect. That being said, long term relationships are about compromise and accepting another human being for all of their flaws and imperfections. There’s no exact formula for a healthy relationship because people are so unique and complicated. Don’t forget to have as much fun as possible while figuring out what is the best relationship dynamic for you.
Let me say this comment may never be seen here but it will be other sites. To me it is wrong when someone is uncomfortable and/or doesn’t want to come out for someone to force them. These are what Andres says in podcast they are his words not mine but to me that is the same as outing anyone that’s not comfortable, not ready just because it is your wish they do so. It should have been Andres chose not Max.