Social Networking and Sexuality

Tumblr What has become particularly interesting to me of late is the encounter between sexuality and the internet—in particular, Tumblr. Anonymity has always come as a double-edged sword, but for those of us who located ourselves within the queer community,…

What Are You Thankful For?

Although overdosing on turkey (or tofurkey!) was so last season, being thankful is perennial. For this blog post, I polled members of the queer community on the rights, privileges, and aspects of daily life they are most grateful to have…

Chinese Expressions of Queer Identities

Photo by API Equality-LA “May God have mercy on this falling land!” proclaimed Chinese actress Lu Li Ping in 2011, “We have to prevent this from happening in China.” Ping was reacting to New York state’s passing of legislation that…

Beyond Male & Female

Photo via Creative Commons “We need to move beyond male and female.” So argued my cisgender Sociology/Gender Studies professor in my Gender and Work course last week when we were discussing occupational segregation (the trend of men and women tending…

Pretty Little Liars Does It Better Than You Think

Still via ABCFamily/Freeform It’s true: ABC Family is not a channel especially known for its award-winning shows. And perhaps “Pretty Little Liars” does not from the outset seem a show of particular note: its source is a series not noted…

Demonstrating in Drag: Embodying the Student Body Politiqueer

Cyrus Sinai, clad in skirt, blouse, and cardigan, stands on Bruin Walk where he and other members of UCLA’s Queer Alliance passed out the UCPD write-up of a hate crime reported to have been committed near campus. Monday at noon,…

Photo-essay: Vietnamese Culture Night

The 33rd annual Vietnamese Culture Night produced by the Vietnamese Student Union presents Unrequited: Đường Một Chiều, which translates to ‘one-way road’ or ‘one way traffic’. The show challenges the, often conservative, Vietnamese ideas of gender roles and perception of…

UCLA Spotlight: Amadeus Leopold at Royce Hall

My Thursday night was queerer than yours; I watched a Korean-American protégé play his violin in a leather thong and a pair of high heels. Last Thursday the violinist Amadeus Leopold, formerly known by his Korean name Hahn-Bin, performed at…

My Struggle for Identification

Photo by ToastyKen/Creative Commons I’ve identified as queer for about five years. After a process of reckoning much the same as many other coming out stories of the kind—though in my own fortunate case, my own terror was a far…

5 Must-Have Sex Toys

Photo by Adam and Eve Brought to you by Adam and Eve. The sex toy industry continues to grow each year. In fact, it’s now valued at 15 billion dollars, but with so much growth comes innovation–and sometimes that innovation…