When dating someone new, I always tell them that I don’t “do” anger. I’ve had unwarranted anger wielded against me before and I know how lasting those marks can be. Anger is unpredictable, unfair, and terrifying. I can’t handle another person’s abuse, another relationship spent walking on eggshells and fearing rage.…
I’m standing in line to check out at my local grocery store. COVID-19 is breathing down my neck: as an entity, as a presence, as an atmosphere. Behind my homemade fabric face mask and my meticulously sanitized disposable gloves, I’m buying two weeks of groceries for my queer household. …
In the Season 5 finale of Veer Queer, interviewer Verniss McFarland III sits down with Diamond Stylz of the podcast Marsha's Plate to discuss trans inclusion in the Black Lives Matter movement, the violence Black trans women continue to face daily, and sustainable trans allyship.…
Last month, I began a journey to tell the stories of fellow LGBTQ people who follow the religious practice of hair covering—an exploration that was born from the need to find and connect with others who are both queer and called to outwardly express their deep-faith practice. I was overwhelmed with the response to my first article on Bailey Gammon, a young, disabled, queer Quaker who covers—numerous other queer folks across the faith spectrum reached out, wishing to share their…
From vlogging, to making viral memes, to using social media to promote their art, the creativity of Millennials and Gen Z is undeniable. And now, as we’re all “bored in the house, and in the house bored,” these two generations have turned to a new social platform to creatively express themselves—Tik Tok.…
With COVID-19 cases surging in Texas following Governor Abbott’s bungling of the economic reopening and his overreach into local mask-order enforcement, many Prides are trying to figure out the safest way to celebrate. Some are rescheduling to later in the year, while others are going virtual. When Houston’s own Space Kiddettes (Trent Lira and Devin Will) learned of a virtual Pride being planned in Austin, the musical duo—already planning a similar event in Houston—offered to join forces and help to…
I was at a week-long Girl Scout sleepaway camp the first time I remember experiencing racism. It was right after the counselors had called for “lights out” in the bunk. There was some problem in the cabin and, to get my attention, one of the other campers called out to me—“Hey, Black girl.” She knew my real name. She’d known for days. Yet, she chose to address me as “Black girl” instead. I don’t remember what she said after that,…
The Black Lives Matter movement was founded on July 13, 2013, by Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Cullors, in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter has since developed into an international human rights organization that aims to end systemic racism. Garza (who identifies as queer) initially helped to bring an intersectional lens to the movement—intentionally addressing how race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity impact oppression. Yet, as Black Lives Matter has grown into…
In light of the murder of George Floyd, amidst nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, and ahead of Father's Day, Veer Queer interviewer Kevin Anderson connects with guests Roderick Coleman, Paul Guillory, George Williams, and Jay Tillman to ask the question: What does it look like to be a Black, same-gender-loving father raising Black children in America right now?…
As a Black, queer, single mother of two young Black boys, I am struggling to have faith in society, our justice system, and humanity. When I was a young girl, I had a knack for sniffing out injustice. I had an innate fire in my belly that drove me to stand against anything I considered to be inequitable or wrong. I would relentlessly debate my mother and grandfather on issues of racial injustice, always seeking to understand why things were the…
