Browsing Tag

queer

Are You My Mother?: Giving New Meaning to Queer Motherhood

A photo of queer mother Dr. Laura McGuire

Mother, mommy, mama, madre, mami, mzza, ma. A human being's first or second word is often calling out to this person. Hospice nurses also say this is one of the last things we ask for before we pass on. The first sound any person hears is their mother's heartbeat in utero. For this exact reason, the tempo of most indigenous drum beats is the same as the human heart. …

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On Being in Your Body: Queer Self-Love as a Radical Act

A photo of On Being in Your Body creators.

I first heard about On Being in Your Body (OBIYB) while I was working with a client of mine who identifies as a gender non-conforming queer. We were talking about our positive experiences and connections via Instagram and she couldn’t stop singing the praises of this project to help womxn, queer, and non-binary humans to reclaim their bodies through art, writing, and human connection.…

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A Queer Literary Pillar in Exile: Tennessee Williams in Retrospect

A photo of Tennessee Williams with Anna Magnani.

Within the canon of southern literature, it is rare to find queer authors who died within 200 miles of where they were born. It is even rarer is to find a queer author who did so and lived freely. Most made their exodus from the South and sought refuge in queer urban hubs, such as New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. One of the most famous amongst those who journeyed away from his roots, but whose plays kept his…

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The Space Kiddettes Talk Their Space City Takeover, New Single, and Embracing Their Inner Nerd

A photo of the queer band Space Kiddettes.

There’s just something about a bold geometric windbreaker that attracts the eye of Trent Lira, one half of Houston’s New Wave duo the Space Kiddettes. Devin Will, the equally eclectic other half, is like a Marie Fredriksson dream circa Roxette 1992. The pair just celebrated the release of “Process Ü,” the first single since their freshman EP Livingspace // Headspace dropped last year.…

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Rainbow Warriors: Queer Indie Trio TOMBOi Talks Supporting Southern Music

A photo of queer band TOMBOi.

Equal parts social justice and rock ‘n’ roll, TOMBOi is not your average indie electronic band. Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, bandmates Paige McMullen (guitar), Alex E. (vocals/beats), and Summer Wood (drums) use music to share their personal experiences as queer women in the South, promote social equality, and to give back to their community through volunteerism. …

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Top Four Queer Swimming Holes in the South

A photo of queer swimming hole Hippie Hollow.

As summer closes in, I’m struck by the overwhelming desire for a queer swimming experience, a place where we can all gather and connect with the water in a joyful way that simultaneously quenches the heat and the need for community. But I hesitated. Do places like that exist in the South?…

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Southern Rebel: Embracing My Queer Redneck Roots

A photo of a redneck town.

I was born in Tennessee on a bright Thanksgiving morning, surrounded by the same Appalachian Mountains my family had called home since the 1790s. My mother is Mediterranean and Hispanic and hails from the Northeast, but my father’s family has thrived for nine generations in the deepest part of the South. As a little girl, I played on my great-papaw’s 87-acre farm, fishing, shooting, and eating grapes off the vine. Life’s pace is different here. I was gifted my first gun…

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