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The Gay Nineties: The Sapphic Love of Adele & Ruth

Posted on May 20, 2020
A photo of LGBTQ history couple Adele Densmore, 21, and Ruth Latham, 18.

The article describes two women, Adele Densmore, 21, and Ruth Latham, 18, the former of whom presented masculine (in her brother’s clothing). The two of them lived in nearby St. Joseph, Missouri and, per the article, were a romantic couple for all intents and purposes. There is some confusion, though. For example, the piece describes Densmore as the one who preferred to dress in men’s clothing, while the accompanying sketches label Latham as the one wearing a top hat with…

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Redefining Family: How My Chosen Mother Helped Me To Heal

Posted on May 14, 2020
A photo of Rylie Jefferson.

I lost my mother at a young age. I didn’t lose her physically, but like many queer folks, lost my relationship with her—all understanding, love, and support. Because of this, I’ve long dreaded Mother’s Day, a time when scrolling through social media means seeing the endless posts from those praising their mothers for loving them—something I’d spent years trying (to no avail) to drag out from my own. This year, however, I decided to make a change; I celebrated my…

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More Than A Mother: A Letter to My Revolutionary Mom This Mother’s Day

Posted on May 7, 2020
A photo of Dr. Laura McGuire's mother.

Dear Mom, I know you don’t always think I see you for all that you genuinely are. More than as my mother, my children’s Nonna, or my rock—but as a human being. At times, you may think I only see you through a critical lens—that I bring up what you are not, the ways in which I wish you were different, or that I make comparisons between you and other moms. Perhaps I do. But I want you to know that,…

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Queers Who Cover: Finding Pride and Healing as a Queer, Disabled Quaker

Posted on May 7, 2020
A photo of Bailey Gammon, a disabled, lesbian, Quaker who chooses to wear a head covering.

I have always loved God. Yes, at times, I couldn’t stand to be around organized religion. And yes, at times, I even wanted to embrace Agnosticism or Atheism, simply because of the pain I felt from having religion weaponized against me. But even still, I could not escape the joy and validity of my relationship with the divine. As I have made peace with my queerness, I have also begun to re-embrace those aspects of religion and the church that…

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Teresita La Campesina: Queering Ranchera Music, Performance, and Memory

Posted on April 29, 2020
A photo of trans Latinx performer Teresita La Campesina.

In 1996, in a Washington DC queer bar called Escandalo (which translates to “scandal” in English), the transgender ranchera artist Teresita La Campesina gave a performance of the Lola Beltrán song “Puñalada Trapera.” A heart-wrenching ballad that rebukes an ex-lover for stabbing the narrator in the back (so to speak), it is one of the few remaining recordings of Teresita’s live performances. She was never given the opportunity to record an album of her own. The rendition is pretty classical…

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Pretty in Pink: Meet Your New Favorite Queer Pop Icon, p1nkstar

Posted on April 23, 2020
A photo of translatinx star p1nkstar.

For decades, clubs, bars, and performance halls have been havens for queer people everywhere. They’re where heavy hearts and cheerful spirits gather together, dance in the moonlight, and come alive. It is within these spaces that p1nkstar, an Austin-based translatinx performance and pop music artist, created an instantly recognizable name for herself.…

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Pioneers + Sustainers of a Movement: Trans BIWOC on the Front Lines

Posted on April 16, 2020
A photo of trans woman Miss Major Griffin-Gracey.

By Kelly M. Marshall Transgender women of color have often been left out of the narratives of the collective LGBTQIA+ experience, especially when it comes to our history of liberation. It’s only recently that Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major Griffin-Gracey, Stormé DeLaverie, and others have been featured in the spotlight and honored for the sacrifice of their blood, sweat, tears, and even lives during the Stonewall Riots and the ensuing decades of our uprising for queer rights. This…

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Is Dating Actually Worth It?

Posted on April 9, 2020
A photo of the cons of dating.

Growing up, we’re all fed the same fairytale ending: We’ll find our person, they’ll offer us love and devotion, they’ll complete us, and together, we’ll settle into a life of fulfillment. From story books, to romantic comedies, to the arc of almost every book, romantic partnering is presented as the ideal. Surprise, things aren’t that easy.…

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Stay Active, Even If Only For Your Mental Health

Posted on April 8, 2020
A photo of physical and mental health during quarantine.

I must disclaim that I am in no way a health and fitness professional, I am a city boy who likes to be out in the city and a gym bunny who enjoys the rush of a good workout. What ever am I doing during the lockdown, then? Let me lay out some workarounds that have been good to me, physically and mentally. Perhaps, if you’re looking to get your own endorphins flowing (whether you’re a gym regular or not),…

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