monochromatic dusty pink illustration of two female silhouettes walking down the street under a street lamp
Creative Writing
piper&jenny

Jenny and I met in the early days of middle school, when everyone was all acne and gangly legs, and got on like a gasoline-soaked house gets on with a match. Frankly, it was a nightmare for our parents. My mom, who I know had been quietly worrying about my ability to make friends, was suddenly unable to enter a shared space in our house without me bombarding her with requests to go to Jenny’s house, stories of something funny that Jenny had said at school today, of Jenny’s new puppy that she got last week.

digital painting of a group of queer people with different body types and identities enjoying a day at the pool
Opinion
Our Bodies: A Study on Beauty Standards and Body Image in the Queer Community

It’s summer time! And you know what that means: driving with the windows down, ice cream sundaes, and all of our body image issues that we concealed under winter clothes being brought to the surface! 

Arts & Entertainment
Palomino Festival Displays Country Music’s Progress Toward Diversity

As a queer Indian-American, the country genre has always seemed antithetical to my existence, a mix of hypermasculinity and overwhelming whiteness. Observing country artists like Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, I perceived country as music for the white man and…

black and white comic by steph liu (she/her) titled "tied too tight". top panel depicts two girls, one with a high bun and the other with long hair. the former ties a red string around the others finger, a pool of thread on the ground beside her. text reads "i think i did it wrong". bottom panel depicts the two, bodies made up of the same string, dancing together and holding each other. text reads "i think i took this string that tied us together and wove it into a love story."
Art & Illustration
Tied Too Tight

Illustrated by Steph Liu (She/Her) This comic was originally published in our Winter 2022 Volume 2 print issue “Wanting: A Queer Beauty & Burden.“

photo of The Mother Birdie, a white nonbinary person with short, bright red hair, bold red lips, and their chest painted with realistic planets and stars
Community
Drag, Deafness, and Defending Queer Youth with The Mother Birdie: Disability Pride (Month) Spotlight

Photo by The Mother Birdie As we make it to our fifth piece in the Disability Pride (Month) series, I am excited to introduce our spotlighted advocate, Birdie (they/them). For those who are on TikTok, you may know them as…

simple illustrated 50s movie poster depicting a red-haired woman with a white headband, green eyes, pearl necklace, and yellow gingham dress behind a tan brunette with glasses and purple coveralls. behind them is a blurred interior of a movie theater. written by kristin haegelin, illustrated by christopher ikonomou. la rousse.
Creative Writing
La Rousse

Illustrated by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) This piece was originally published in our Winter 2022 Volume 2 print issue “Wanting: A Queer Beauty & Burden.“ Since checking into work that morning, Lynn had done little besides load up the popcorn machine…

digital painting of two pairs of young children. one shows a boy and girl kissing while the other are two shy girls holding hands in secret
Opinion
There is Not Only Sex in Homosexuality

Illustrated by Cole Lopez (They/Them) I am going to start this piece with a declaration of what it is not: it is not a cry against sexuality and sex. The fight for equality in the queer community includes the fight…

photo of Walela Nehanda, a Black nonbinary person with dark braids threaded with colorful beads and shells, a beaded necklace, a deep yellow layered top, and tattoos. they stand in front of green foliage with a powerful expression
Community
Finding and Standing Up For Yourself with Walela Nehanda: Disability Pride (Month) Spotlight

Photo by Walela Nehanda (They/Them) **Content Warning: brief mentions of abuse** This article will highlight the moments when the CW is relevant, but regardless, please read at your own discretion.  Welcome to the fourth installment of our Disability Pride Month…

photo of a Brown nonbinary person with shoulder-length black hair, glasses, a yellow sweater over a white button down, a black face mask, and black pants. they stand in the UCLA botanical gardens on their phone with a flower tucked behind their ear.
Creative Writing
Fragile Dandelions

Photo by Zoë Collins This piece was originally published in our Winter 2022 Volume 2 print issue “Wanting: A Queer Beauty & Burden.“ I love you.  The first time I said it, my hands shook, my heart beating as fast…

digital illustration of cupid with pale skin, flowing blonde hair, and grand pink feathered wings. he winces and cries, struck by an arrow and bleeding pink glittery blood
Art & Illustration
Love Conquers All

Illustrated by Chrys Marr (She/They) This illustration was originally published in our Winter 2022 Volume 2 print issue “Wanting: A Queer Beauty & Burden.“

Featured Posts
A yellow paper sign hung from a tent at UCLA’s Palestinian Solidarity Encampment. Handwritten black text reads “No one is free until we are all free” between a Palestinian flag on the left and a Progress Pride flag on the right.
Politics & News
“This Is a Space of Love”: UCLA’s Palestinian Solidarity Encampment
A digital illustration of a capybara with an astronaut hat on. Blue and yellow stars surround the capybara. At the top of the image is the text "paw."
Campus
Pride Admit Weekend: What It Is and What It Gives
A digital illustration of a person with wavy short hair wearing a shirt that says, "Voting Is Cunty." Everything is pink.
Politics & News
We Are Entering Our 2024 Election Voting Era: Why Voting Slays
A photograph of yellow, purple, and white flowers in a field of grass.
Politics & News
Fighting for the Queer Youth: In Loving Memory of Nex Benedict
A photograph of Gwen, an Asian woman with red hair, glasses, and light skin. She's wearing a shirt with fur lining and multiple necklaces. Gwen stands in front of an informational poster entitled "Reducing the Risk of COVID-19."
Campus
How a Queer Disabled Student is Fighting for Health, Safety, and Education
A photograph of a fence along a path to the beach. Each fence post has an individual's name in blue or red letters.
Politics & News
Seeking Safety: LGBTQ+ Migrants Fight for Asylum
A photograph of three people's legs and black heels. From left to right, the people are wearing a short black skirt, a long white skirt, and black slacks respectively. The lighting is a blue to pink gradient.
Campus
Queer Prom: Fantasy Is a Radical Reality
A digital illustration of Claude, a masc Korean person with glasses and a septum ring. He has dark hair and light skin and is visibly anxious. Cracks in the colors of the trans flag spread out from around him. They are surrounded by faceless gray people.
Campus
The Growing Future of Queer Bruins in STEM
A photograph taken from an aerial view of blurry people walking in various directions. The ground is composed of gray stones.
Community
Homelessness and Familiar Faces
A digital illustration of a capybara with an astronaut hat on. Blue and yellow stars surround the capybara. At the top of the image is the text "paw."
Campus
Pride Admit Weekend Needs More Volunteers: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
A digital illustration of a light-skinned masc person in a black cap, black leather harness, and black pants. They have a beard and short hair. They face away from the audience in a dimly lit abandoned gay bar called "Rock Bottom." The only visible light is from their phone open to an ambiguous social media. The room is lit with a deep pinkish purple.
Community
The Destruction of Queer Public Spaces Has Forced Us Online
for tomorrow's article! A digital illustration of a fem person and a masc person looking at each other from the ends of two separate lines. One line is composed of fem people's pink silhouettes, and the other is composed of masc people's blue silhouettes. The fem person has brown skin, black hair in a ponytail, a purple shirt, and a tan bag. The masc person has white skin, short brown hair, a blue shirt, and a black backpack. He looks worried. They are in a school setting approaching a bulletin board with various flyers on it.
Politics & News
Oklahoma School Bans Gender Change
A digital illustration of Barbie, a blonde white woman with blue eyes in a black and white striped top and gold hoop earrings. She looks alarmed. Another woman with a brown skin tone and black nail polish cups Barbie's cheek. The Mattel logo in rainbow is behind Barbie. The top text reads "This Barbie is GAY PANICKING." Next to Barbie, the text reads, "AGHHHHH OMH SHE'S SO PRETTY OMGHA,ASGHJK." The entire image's background is light blue.
Short Story
“What Was I Made For?”: Thoughts of a Queer Barbie
A digital illustration of two groups of silhouetted people. One group is silent and holds the Intersex-Inclusive Pride Progress Flag. The other group is led by an individual holding up their hand and shouting. The background is a light purple, and a light yellow starburst is behind the flag.
Community
The Fight Over Flags
A digital illustration of a green chalkboard with a wooden frame. A white piece of chalk sits on the left side. In the center of the chalkboard is a drawn rainbow.
Opinion
Why Queer Education Matters
A photograph of Schuyler Bailar, an Asian trans man with light skin, black hair, and black facial hair. He is shirtless with visible top surgery scars, and he holds the trans flag above his head; the flag streams out behind him.
Community
Schuyler Bailar’s Intersectional Impact as an East Asian Transgender Man
A digital illustration of various sapphic couples from television. The largest couple on the left hand side is Amity, a white girl with short purple hair, a black tunic, a moon necklace, and pointy ears, and Luz, a Latina girl with brown skin, orange-brown hair, a half-cloak, and black studs, from "The Owl House." Amity cups Luz's face and holds her hand. At the bottom right corner are Beatrice, an Asian woman with dark purple hair in a bun and a cross scar on her cheek, and Ava, a white woman with orange-brown bobbed hair, from "Warrior Nun." Ava is smiling affectionately at Beatrice who is speaking. At the top right corner are Sydney, a white girl with short pink hair in an orange tank top and necklace, and Dina, a Black girl with dark curly hair and a white tank top, from "I Am Not Okay With This." Sydney leans against Dina and looks up at her lovingly. Various swirls and hearts surround all the couples.
Arts & Entertainment
From “I Am Not Okay With This” to “Everything Sucks”: A Lack of Lesbians in Media
A digital illustration of two women holding hands and looking at a painting of two women. The couple's clothing color palette matches the two women's clothing in the painting. The woman on the left has light brown skin, curly brown hair, a blue bandana, and a brown vest over a light blue long-sleeve shirt. The woman on the right has light skin, straight brown hair, a red beret, a tan shirt, and a black purse. The women in the painting wear a red scarf and a blue scarf respectively.
Literature
The Underrepresentation of Sapphic Identities in Literature: A Historical Analysis
An illustration of a light-skinned girl with long light brown hair in a pink sweater holding hands with a girl with brown skin and her dark brown curls tied up in a bun in a white turtleneck and red shirt. They both look backwards and up, their faces filled with worry. Blue silhouettes of people with angry faces loom above them.
Arts & Entertainment
The Oversexualization of Lesbian Relationships in Media
A photograph of a white and orange rugby ball on blue artificial turf. In the background are UCLA rugby players.
Sports
A Try at UCLA Women’s Rugby — Interview with Kelsey on UCLA Athletics and Being Trans
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