Rainer Lee (He/Him)
10 Articles0 Comments

Rainer Lee (he/him) is the Editor-in-Chief and a writer at OutWrite. He is a fourth year English major and an avid believer in the power of story. He's passionate about queer media, good noodles, and fun fashion.

The Destruction of Queer Public Spaces Has Forced Us Online

This January closed with police raids on Seattle gay bars. In a scene reminiscent of 20th-century police raids of queer bars, officials with flashlights entered a bar unannounced, took pictures of patrons, and cited a bartender for having an exposed nipple. It’s no secret that queer bars have been heavily policed throughout American history, or that nowadays, lesbian bars are practically nonexistent in the U.S. Queer spaces still exist, but we have lost the thriving queer sex culture of the 1980s largely because of the American political response to the AIDS crisis.

How to Be a Trans Ally 101

Has someone in your life recently come out as transgender? Are you wondering how to support them but don’t know where to start? While there’s a plethora of resources about transness available online, the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming

Beauty, Past Blood and Shame, in “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong (he/him) unearths the life and history of a young gay Vietnamese-American man, Little Dog. Though the novel moves between his grandmother’s and mother’s lives in Vietnam to his life in the U.S., it isn’t only an “immigrant story” or a “gay story.” Rather, it encompasses his queerness, race, class, family, and humanity.

Queering Masculinity in “Stone Butch Blues”

Leslie Feinberg’s historical novel “Stone Butch Blues” voices the experiences of many butch and transmasculine individuals. In a transformative exploration of queer recognition and the way it damns and redeems us, the novel unearths critical queer history and underlines the importance of intersectional solidarity. Courage, loneliness, and understanding echo through the story of the butch protagonist, Jess Goldberg.

Being My Mother’s Son: A Review of Queer Korean Documentary “Coming to You”

On May 5, 2023, UCLA screened “Coming to You” (“한글: 너에게 가는 길”) directed by Gyu-ri Byun (she/her), a groundbreaking Korean documentary about the mothers of queer adults in Korea. The documentary centers on the mothers, Nabi (she/her) and Vivian (she/her), who are members of PFLAG Korea (Parents, Families and Allies of LGBTAIQ+ People in Korea). Both women are cisgender and heterosexual. Prior to their children coming out to them, they held little to no knowledge about the queer community and harbored discriminatory opinions about queerness. Nonetheless, the documentary made no excuses for their past queerphobia and followed their journeys into wholehearted queer activism.

The Troubling Origins of Queer Labeling: Reflecting on Kadji Amin’s Guest Lecture at UCLA

In Fall 2022, guest lecturer, Kadji Amin (he/him) of Emory University, presented his article “Taxonomically Queer?: Sexology and New Queer, Trans, and Asexual Identities.” I was nervous entering a room packed with mostly graduate students and professors, but when Professor Amin walked on the stage, my nerves melted away. I was gripped by his every word. Not only was his lecture the best one I’ve heard so far, but he was the first Asian trans professor I’d ever seen. As an Asian trans man myself, it was life-changing to see someone like me dedicating his life to studying people like us.

Transgender Bill of Rights Introduced to Congress

On March 31, 2023 (this year’s Trans Day of Visibility), Representative Pramila Jayapal and Senator Edward J. Markey introduced the “Transgender Bill of Rights” in Congress. The resolution would broadly ensure equal access to services and public accommodations for trans and nonbinary people, recognize their right to bodily autonomy and ethical healthcare, promote their safety, and enforce their civil rights.

The Right To Discriminate?: Religious Exemption from Title IX Compliance

Illustrated by Paheli (She/Her) Content warning: homophobia, transphobia, religious language, mentions of depression and suicide Title IX protects against sex-based discrimination. Beginning with Bostock v. Clayton County, the Supreme Court ruled that Title IX’s protection extends to transgender and gay…

Catharsis Through Queer Media: A Review of “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a love letter to the Asian American immigrant community and a startlingly sincere portrayal of modern queerness. In an era of formulaic superhero films and live-action Disney remakes, it is a breath of fresh air and a reminder that art can be transformative.

Subverting the Queer Coming-of-Age Film: A Review of “When Men Were Men”

“When Men Were Men” follows a young transmasculine person grappling with his existence in his rural Irish Catholic hometown.