The opening salvo of Queerskins: A Love Story plays out over the backdrop of AIDS Crisis America. Ed (Drew Moore) and Mary-Helen (Hadley Boyd) are driving down a country road filled with memories of their son, Sebastian (Michael DeBartolo), who has recently passed away—a victim of the crisis. Using photorealistic virtual reality (VR), the viewer is thrust into the middle of this scene, witnessing the couple’s heart-wrenching conversation firsthand from the back seat of their Cadillac. On the seat next…
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Why Are Straight Folks Obsessed with LGBTQ Folks’ Bodies and Sex Lives?
Posted on November 5, 2018So, who is the man and who is the woman? We’re both males. We’re partners. We share duties and don’t subscribe to traditional gender roles. At least, that’s how it is in my own relationship. And here we are, six years together, and people still believe it’s okay to ask me if my partner or I shapeshift into a lady behind closed doors, as if the notion that two people of the same gender can live together and share their lives,…
The Queer Doula: Adventures in Providing Support and Education Around Birth, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Posted on November 1, 2018I have always loved birth. As a teen and young adult, I would spend hours glued to TLC’s A Birth Story and other ER shows that depicted live births with a twist of trauma and terror. I found every unique birth story endlessly fascinating. What was this family’s journey? How would this birth be different? What would the baby look like? As I observed birth after birth, I came away with one clear conclusion by the age of 14: I…
‘I’ Will Not Be Erased: Activist Alicia Roth Weigel Gets Intersexy in the Lone Star State
Posted on October 26, 2018What is intersex? It’s the ‘I’ in LGBTQIA, but it’s still something that not many folks know about. Intersex is a condition in which individuals are born with reproductive and sexual anatomy that does not fit into the institutionalized “male” or “female” boxes. In honor of Intersex Awareness Day (October 26), we caught up with Alicia Roth Weigel, an “intersexy” “policy, advocacy, and campaign strategist for the progressive movement.”…
Episode 18: Coming Out Of My Cage & I’ve Been Doing Just Fine
Posted on October 25, 2018National Coming Out Day gives the Veer Queer team some feelings, so they dish it out with their very first Portland guest, Kris.…
Photo Recap: Spectrum South Night at Stages ‘Swimming While Drowning’
Posted on October 18, 2018The Spectrum South Night performance of Emilio Rodriguez's Swimming While Drowning was held on October 17, 2018 at Stages Repertory Theatre.…
Why I Won’t Gentrify My Career
Posted on October 3, 2018In June 2018, I started my consulting and expert witness firm, The National Center for Equity and Agency, which specializes in sexual misconduct prevention and increasing cultural inclusion. Starting my own business meant building a brand, not only for the business, but a brand for me personally as well. What was the image I wanted to portray? Who did I want to impress and connect with? What was the vibe that I wanted our logo, language, and colors to exude?…
Femme Fashionista: Stylist Miramar Dichoso On Body Positivity, QPOC Representation
Posted on September 30, 2018There’s a certain glow that surrounds Miramar Dichoso when she talks about fashion. Sporting velvet sandals and socks adorned with pearls, the Austin-based stylist and speaker excitedly contemplates what new shade (if any) will replace the millennial pink phenomenon. “People might find forward fashion a little odd because it hasn’t quite been embraced by the mainstream yet. I love wearing socks with open-toed sandals because I love whimsy in fashion,” she comments on her outfit choice. “I get a myriad…
Painting Outside The Lines: Meet Queer Houston Artist Stephanie Gonzalez
Posted on September 28, 2018From the moment you step into artist Stephanie Gonzalez’s Houston studio, your eyes are drawn in every direction: from her in-progress project made from thrown-away papers, to her latest sculpture, “The Scissor Sisters,” a statement on how men often view lesbian sex as exaggerated entertainment for their own pleasure.…
Flipping The Script: Playwright Emilio Rodriguez Centers Queer Marginalized Stories
Posted on September 14, 2018Out playwright Emilio Rodriguez is from everywhere and nowhere. His youth was spent all over the United States, as his father’s position in the military uprooted the family every few years. He shares experiences with so many—but his roots are nowhere to be found.…