David Swatling grew up in upstate New York and studied drama at Syracuse University. He has done experimental theatre in Poland, performed mime on the streets of NYC, and made his Off-Broadway debut inThe Passion of Dracula. The early 80s in the East Village are best forgotten, except for a brief appearance in the Madonna filmDesperately Seeking Susan. He fled to Amsterdam in 1985 where he continued working in theater and film, including performances in two docudramas:Victim of the BrainandTen Monologues from the Lives of the Serial Killers.

He also worked for 25 years at Radio Netherlands Worldwide as a newsreader, reporter, and producer. His culture program,Aural Tapestry, was chosen as one of the Ten Best Shows on World Radio. His documentaries have won international prizes, and he is a three-time winner of the NLGJA Excellence in Journalism Award. He hosted a live LGBTQ radio show, wrote for Amsterdam’s first gay weekly,Trash in the Streets, and reported forThe Daily Friendshipnewspaper during Gay Games ’98. He currently edits material for Pride Photo Award and regularly blogs about LGBTQ issues—from Amsterdam and elsewhere.