When Marcel hit theaters in the summer of 2022, millennials flocked to see the sentient one-inch seashell we had all come to know and love from the viral YouTube video of the same name. Marcel is charming and humorously witty and leaves viewers with that comforting tingle one can only experience following a healthy dose of nostalgia. The media frenzy surrounding Marcel’s release was more than Cline was used to, but it offered her the opportunity to not only discuss…
trans
How the Overturn of Roe v. Wade Will Impact LGBTQIA+ Couples in the South
Posted on September 23, 2022The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. In doing so, the Supreme Court gave states the right to outlaw abortion. Several states, many of them in the South, have trigger laws, which state legislators have already approved, that went into effect immediately or almost immediately after Roe v. Wade was overturned. A perhaps unforeseen result of the overturn is that the ruling may also make it more difficult for LGBTQIA+ couples in the South to adopt…
Reproductive Justice, Love, and Rock n’ Roll: ‘I’ll Have What She’s Having’ Hosts Picnic Fundraiser for Abortion Access in Texas
Posted on June 1, 2022Between the leaked Roe v. Wade draft opinion, horrific attacks on trans kids from the state’s legislature, and the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texans have experienced immeasurable trauma these past few months. The Houston-based, women-led organization I’ll Have What She’s Having (IHWSH)—composed of women chefs, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs, physicians, scientists, artists, and other professionals united in social activism—is turning pain into action.…
Queer and Trans Reproductive Justice and Support With Amy Miller
Posted on May 10, 2022On this episode of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with birth worker and educator Amy Miller to discuss the full spectrum of birth work, including support with birth, abortion, fertility, and postpartum; navigating the medical landscape as a queer person; and being a non-binary, polyamorous parent.…
A Dream Realized: The Mahogany Project Opens Houston’s First Black Trans-Led Community Center
Posted on February 24, 2022When I speak with Verniss McFarland III, founder of The Mahogany Project, the excitement is palpable. On February 26, the Houston-based non-profit will celebrate the grand opening of its new physical space, The Mahogany Project Center and, in turn, will become the first Black trans-led organization to open a brick-and-mortar location in the city.…
Texas, Why Don’t You Want Me Here?: On the Culture of the Lone Star State and My Trans Feelings
Posted on December 15, 2021Before I knew what “trans” was, I knew not to be it. As an overtly masculine Black girl in Texas, the state was already out to get me for my skin. Even worse though, my own Black community was out to get me for being different. …
Why World AIDS Day Matters to the Trans Community
Posted on December 1, 2021The language and sentiments surrounding this pandemic, from calls to action to “flatten the curve,” to the anxiety around human contact and intimacy, are reminiscent of another ongoing issue impacting our community—the HIV epidemic. …
In Defense of Trans Youth in Alabama
Posted on September 9, 2021As in states across the country, anti-trans bills are plaguing Alabama. Once again, conservatives have manufactured a problem so that they can craft a solution that causes undue suffering to an entire community already persecuted by conservative lawmakers in the state. Fiendishly, the community in question is children.…
AFAF 5: Ethical Porn and the Liberating Powers of Erotic Art with G and Kei
Posted on July 14, 2021In this month's episode of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with G and Kei, founders of BEYONDEEP Productions, to talk Black, queer representation in porn, living as a married, kinky, and polyamorous couple, preconceived notions of erotica, and more.…
A Trans God: Far-Fetched or a Fresh Perspective?
Posted on June 25, 2021It’s Pride month! And with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots right around the corner, we’re seeing a hot debate around rainbow washing and performative allyship for profit by major corporations. Yet, one place remains, more often than not, unwashed by rainbows—the church. As frustrating as rainbow capitalism can be, it is at least an invitation for dialogue. If you are willing to rebrand for 30 days each summer, then perhaps we can discuss what support for the LGBTQ community…