As a newsmagazine, OutWrite aims to empower the LGBTQ+ community at UCLA and beyond by celebrating intersectional experiences, looking critically at complex inequities faced by our communities, and providing positive LGBTQ+ representation. Lately, our staff has been reflecting on why we all individually joined OutWrite. We think it’s important to understand what OutWrite means to each of us in order to better the work we do, as well as to express our gratitude for this publication.
“I actually joined OutWrite on a whim, but getting involved has been one of the best opportunities I’ve had here at UCLA. As a South Campus major, I find it easy to get sucked down the exhausting whirlpool of STEM, but writing and designing for OutWrite allows me to escape feeling trapped in that hard-science track. I’ve also loved getting to know the other staff members of OutWrite. As a queer person, it’s always comforting to have a group of other queer friends, and the OutWrite staff is full of some of the most genuinely kind, patient, and hilarious people I’ve met. Through OutWrite, I feel like I’ve grown exponentially, whether it be as a member of the queer community, a college student, a writer, a designer, or just general human being, and I’d 10/10 recommend joining to any prospective member.”
— Liana Kindler
“One of the most rewarding parts of being in OutWrite is experiencing the reactions of those who consume our content. While we were distributing our printed edition this winter quarter, I was extremely inspired to see how our content touched the lives of so many different people– even far beyond the queer community. I think that OutWrite is imperative given the political climate we are currently experiencing, and I’m excited to see its platform grow as we gain new members. As a student run organization, we are producing much more content than we had in recent years, and that momentum is so exciting! I’m so grateful to be a part of this new generation of OutWrite.
I love OutWrite because it has given me the opportunity to explore my personal narrative while simultaneously experiencing a huge amount of love and camaraderie from my peers. I always look forward to our weekly meeting because it is full of laughter, love, and glitter!”
— Andrew Hall
“To me, Outwrite is a lot more than just a queer newsmagazine. It’s a platform to freely echo my voice, acting somewhat like a megaphone for the unheard voices of queer students on campus. It acts as a crossroad that allows us students to intermingle with others, as well as a space to express our thoughts and feelings about UCLA or topics pertaining to queerness. I guess to sum it all up, you should join Outwrite because you get to meet some pretty awesome people (including myself) and because it’ll allow your inner queerness to shine thruuuu.”
— Skylar
“OutWrite is the intersection of queerness, writing, and art. I joined because it’s amazing and important to me to have that intersection and for queer voices and work to have this platform, and it encompasses both my passion for art and journalism as well as queerness. It’s also neat because everyone on staff creates things and is a part of this process because we want to be. It’s empowering to be around motivated, creative queer people.”
— Shay Suban
“Prior to joining OutWrite, I didn’t have much experience writing for anyone other than myself or being part of a queer community (pretty much the two things that make up a queer newsmagazine…). Because it was so out of my comfort zone, I pushed myself to apply as a personal challenge. Since then, OutWrite has continually motivated me to interrogate and own my narrative, better understand how I can act in allyship toward other queer and non-queer folks alike, and generally be a more engaged and open version of myself.”
— Amy Wang
“I believe OutWrite is an amazing opportunity to give voice and representation to people in the queer community, which I think is so, so necessary to get people to understand and sympathize with our issues (which in turn will decrease discrimination/violence toward queer people).”
— Tina Li
“I joined OUTWrite because I knew how incredible the staff was from the moment I met them. I also know how important OUTWrite is as both a creative outlet and a way to make your voice heard. For me, being a part of something as cool as that was enough motivation to join and fall in love with it.”
— Koby Hansen
“I joined OutWrite as a way to figure out my sexuality, but it became more of an entryway to the LGBTQ+ community. Every article I edit or read teaches me something I didn’t know before about the community. The staff is super nice and understanding, and OutWrite is a great platform to speak from. Also, you get to be a published author! How cool is that?”
— Sarah Jensen
“To me, OutWrite is a platform that allows me to share with a receptive audience ideas and stories that I think are important for queers and non-queers alike to hear. The best part though, is getting to know and work with other passionate queers on staff that share the same love for stupid jokes and queer media that I do.”
— John Solan
“Joining OutWrite was one of the first things I did at UCLA after spending a long time questioning both my writing voice and my queer identity. After learning about the newsmag’s long history as the voice of students, I was excited to become part of that. Being part of OutWrite is an opportunity to engage with a community that I haven’t always been lucky enough to have around me.”
— Anastacia Kellogg
As you can see, we have a lot to be grateful for. Thank you to all of our staff, who bring endless passion and commitment to each article, meeting, and Five Guys dinner. And a special thank you to all of our readers, who give OutWrite the meaning it holds. We always welcome and cherish your voices!