As far as Kory Davis is concerned, life's all about openness and honesty. The frank, outgoing 25-year-old tells it like it is.
''I just speak my mind,'' he says, not mincing words. ''I'm just me and I'm honest. Once you are yourself, things just come across easier, much more naturally. You listen to what someone is saying and give your input. And if I don't like something, I'm going to tell them I don't like it. At the end of the day, they can either take it or leave it.''
Kory
(Photo by Julian Vankim)
But lest you think he's cocky or arrogant, there's a softer, more humble side to this Virgin Islands native.
''I come across as very confident, and I am,'' Kory confirms. ''But I think I'm more shy when it comes to me getting involved with somebody. I'm a little more reserved, and I hold back all my boisterous qualities that I would have in a regular conversation with someone else.''
Once he establishes a relationship with someone, or, in the short term, gains a little liquid inspiration from his favorite drink – apple martini with three cherries, thank you very much – that shyness disappears.
''I'm a go-getter, he says. ''So if I know you're in my league, I'll go after you, definitely. Most of the time I get what I want.''
So what's the ideal man for this newly single ''go-getter?''
''Be abreast of what's going on in the world. If we're going out, we need to be able to have a conversation, talk about things. Be adventurous.''
While he might be adventurous, ''intriguing'' is probably more precise when it comes to describing this Kory. For one thing, he's got 43 tattoos, each with its own meaning. At the time of his initial Coverboy feature in February, the count was 42.
''I only got one extra one, on my left leg. It says 'Sex sells,''' Kory says. ''It's true. It might sound bad, but you're not going to be a news anchor if you have pimples or you're not well put together. So your presentation, once you step out of the house, you need to be at least put together for yourself.''
Along with the external – being clean-cut and presentable – Kory also has a charitable streak. Prompted by a conversation with a homeless man about the importance of keeping one's feet warm and dry, Kory recently held a ''sock drive'' for homeless people, netting 50 packs of new socks. That's on top of the 75 pounds of canned goods he just collected for the local charity So Others May Eat.
Kory is also helping others back in his childhood home of St. Thomas by organizing the island's first gay pride celebration. He communicates weekly with a committee of seven others back on the island to carry out the preparations. The celebration is scheduled to take place in October. He was inspired to plan the celebration after attending another gay pride celebration in Trinidad and Tobago, which he says is much less accepting of homosexuality than the U.S. Virgin Islands, where same-sex marriages are regularly performed.
Asked what he thinks about being a Metro Weekly Coverboy of the Year finalist, Kory says he's grateful for his supporters. He credits his mother and his two best friends with running his online campaign, reaching out to people in the D.C. area and the Virgin Islands to vote for him.
Kory also says he's been impressed by the local outpouring of support, particularly from other members of the black community. He's even gotten some star treatment, getting placed in the VIP section at Love nightclub and being recognized by fans at other bars.
''I went out to the Fireplace the day the top 10 came out. A lot of people saw it and said, 'Oh, You're the guy from Coverboy,' and I got kind of shy. But I was happy.''
FIRST RUNNER-UP PRIZE PACKAGE
$250 Cash 18th & U Duplex Diner -- $50 Gift Card Annie's -- $150 Dinner Certificate Arena Stage -- 2 Tickets to The Normal Heart (Preview Week) Black Fox Lounge -- $50 Gift Certificate Blowoff -- 2 Admissions to Event on Jan. 14 at the 9:30 Club Caramel Boutique -- $25 Gift Certificate Centaur Entertainment -- 5 CD Package Cobalt -- $50 Gift Certificate DC Eagle -- $25 Gift Certificate/Bar Tab FIT -- 2 Half-Hour Personal Training Sessions Freddie's -- Saturday Brunch for 2 GALA Hispanic Theatre -- 2 Tickets to a Mainstage Production Hollywood Tans DC -- 1 Month Unlimited Tanning Package in HT54 Stand-Up Booth HRC Store -- $50 Shopping Spree at D.C. Store Image Entertainment -- DVD of Bette Midler's The Showgirl Must Go On JR.’s -- $25 Bar Tab Landmark Theaters -- 4 Passes Leather Rack -- $50 Gift Certificate Level One -- $50 Gift Certificate MAL Weekend 2012 -- 1 Reaction Dance Ticket Miss Gay DC America 2012 -- 2 VIP Tickets Omega DC -- $50 Drink Tickets Round House Theatre -- 2 Tickets to Next Fall Ruff Plastic Surgery -- Vector 3D Imaging, Visia Skin Analysis and Consult With Clinician SKIN -- $150 of Professional Skin Care Products State Theatre -- 4 Tickets to Zoso - The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience Studio Theatre -- 2 Tickets to Bust and 2 Free Drink Coupons Tattoo Paradise -- $50 Gift Certificate Team DC -- 4 Tickets to Fashion Show Town Danceboutique -- $50 in Drink Tickets Good for Fridays or Saturdays West End Cinema -- 2 Passes WSC Avant Bard -- 2 Tickets to 1 of the Final 3 Shows of Season Ziegfeld's/Secrets -- $50 Cash
Our thanks to all those nightspots, restaurants, businesses and performing arts venues who graciously provided prizes to this year's Coverboy winners. Certain restrictions may apply to some prizes. Prizes are non-transferable.
The 2011 Coverboy of the Year was photographed on location at the Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW, in Washington, D.C. Visit 930.com.
