March 31st is International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual celebration of the transgender community and opportunity for action against transphobia, systemic oppression, and violence. In honor of TDoV, we asked some of our trans/nonbinary staff members the following simple…
The Danger of “Traditional Values”: An Analysis of From Russia With Hate (Fall 2013)
*This article is a modern analysis of the themes and content of “From Russia With Hate“ (Fall 2013), the sixth installment of our From The Archive series.* **Trigger warning: violent queerphobia** Since the passing of the law detailed in “From Russia…
It’s Not a Phase: Attacks on the Rights of Trans Youth
There is an ongoing increase in legislative attacks on the transgender community in the United States, especially targeting transgender youth. According to the Human Rights Campaign, in 2015 there were a total of 19 anti-transgender legislations placed on the table…
“Risk vs. Stigma”: Inherent Homophobia in U.S. Blood Donation
Graphic by Zoë Collins (She/Her) In January of 2022, the American Red Cross declared that the United States was in the midst of its worst blood shortage in decades. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with more positive cases every day, the…
From the Archive: From Russia With Hate (Fall 2013)
Welcome to OutWrite’s “From the Archive” series! This series is designed to provide an opportunity to interact with our organization’s archives, assess the opinions and relevance of our past content, and bring that content into the present. In doing so,…
sangre, stranger
Graphic by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) Hola, mija. The tinny speakerphone rings through our shoebox apartment; I look up at the sound and see that a work week’s worth of tension has melted from my mother’s shoulders now that she’s heard…
“Encanto”: Being the Family’s Black Sheep
**This article contains spoilers for Disney’s “Encanto” (2021).** In late November of 2021, Disney released the long-anticipated movie “Encanto.” The film centers around a mestiza, Colombian family, the Madrigals, who were blessed with magical powers which they use to help…
Sex-Segregated Bathrooms: Safety Measure or Reinforcing the Gender Binary? – An Analysis of Unisex Bathrooms: Convenience or Safety Measure? (Winter 2002)
Graphic by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) *This article is a modern analysis of the themes and content of “Unisex Bathrooms: Convenience or Safety Measure?” (Winter 2002), the fifth installment of our From The Archive series.* Transgender people feeling unsafe and being subject…
Pedestal to Villification Pole: Dehumanization in Online Queer Representation
Graphic by Steph Liu (She/Her) There is no doubt that queer people have made incredible strides in terms of visibility over the past decade alone, and the Internet enabled a lot of the progress the community has made. Queer content…