Unable to come out at home, many rich young foreigners opt for exile in America.

-By David Kaufman
-Photograph by Sian Kennedy

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Photograph by Sian Kennedy

Ever since he was a child, Alberto knew that he wanted to move to New York. At first, the scion of wealthy, politically connected Panamanian landowners and industrialists (who, like the other men in this story, asked that his name be changed) followed a parentally approved plan: He got a graduate degree and embarked on a successful career in business. Then Alberto did something that wasn't part of the program: He came out. Instead of returning to Panama, Alberto met an American boyfriend and bought a two-bedroom apartment in New York. He doesn't plan on returning home anytime soon, and he suspects his parents may want to keep it that way.