Queer Next Up: VATTICA

VATTICA (they/them) is an artist and self-described soapbox snark for social change who writes alt-rock anthems for our dystopia.

Apocalyptic Queer Rage: “The Last of Us” Redefines Queerness in Video Games 

The gaming community ten years ago was a toxic space for marginalized people, including the LGBTQ+ community. Video games in the early 2010s had minimal LGBTQ+ representation, and the scant representation that did exist portrayed LGBTQ+ people in an unpleasant light. The video games that were sympathetic to LGBTQ+ were few and far between and usually not considered triple-A games (a term for video games made by major video game publishers who have access to higher quality development and a larger budget).

Queer Identity and The Importance of Apologies in Netflix’s “Freeridge”

Netflix released the show “On My Block” nearly 5 years ago. The show follows an all-POC friend group (including characters of Black, Latinx, and Asian ethnicities) as they navigate high school, relationships, struggles at home, and a treasure hunt. While it had its fair share of cringy moments, the show was funny and interesting enough for me to watch the first three seasons, so when Netflix released a spin-off that included queer representation, I knew I had to watch it.

Queer Next Up: Annelle Staal

Annelle Staal (they/them) is a compellingly honest songwriter and storyteller. A pioneer in the world of virtual performance and a visionary in their artistry, Annelle’s sound varies from blue-eyed soul to organic acoustic pop and nostalgic 80s inspired sounds.

The Sims 4 Introduces Items For Trans Players

On Jan. 31, 2023, the Sims team announced that “The Sims 4” was getting an update to include something for trans Simmers to enjoy, including binders and top surgery scars for transmasculine people, and shapewear specific for transfeminine people. “The Sims 4” is known for its increasingly inclusive gameplay. Recently, Simmers have been able to enjoy a breadth of new skin tones, hairstyles, romantic preferences, and new traits that make gameplay feel a bit more realistic. 

Love At The End Of The World: A Review of “The Transient Bliss of Death by Fallout”

“Why am I so f****** AWKWARD?” “Alan, it’s not that bad,” you want to say to the dorky guy kicking a blow-up clown. “Pretty much everybody has a ‘Magic Tree House’ phase.”

Of course, you can’t say this because in this version of the world, you would have almost certainly perished in whatever cataclysm left Alan Alderman the last man alive. He now lives in his mother’s basement, explaining his circumstances to a tape recorder for posterity.

Love Songs of a Different Tune: A Valentine’s Day Revisit with Rio Romeo

Last year, we interviewed butch lesbian singer-songwriter Rio Romeo about their Valentine’s Day release, “Bet.” They’ve released a full EP since then, “Good God!” — a project full of what they called “love songs” in our last conversation (they certainly delivered). Just a couple days ago, they released a new single, “Danke Schoen.” Now, a year later, we all meet again, under some of the same conditions as last time. It feels almost like meeting an old friend, and we all catch up for a couple minutes before diving in.

Queer Next Up: Michael Medrano

Michael Medrano (he/him) LA’s sleazy disco cowboy that lives & breathes pop music. My only goal is to make everyone loosen the fuck up and have a great time.

Red Cloaks and Breaking Records: How Queer Music Fared at the 2023 Grammys

Music’s biggest night is back! Sunday evening marked the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah in downtown Los Angeles. Nearly all of the industry’s biggest stars filled Crypto.com Arena, hoping to be honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for their songs and albums released between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022. But how did LGBTQ+ music fare at the show overall?

Mad Tsai Presents “Stacy’s Brother”: An Interview With The Artist

Jonathan Tsai, a.k.a. Mad Tsai, never really expected fame. Tsai started his career as a bedroom pop artist posting music online, locked in his home during a worldwide pandemic with his ukulele and overwhelming emotions to work through. While he had a significant fanbase before the pandemic, Tsai’s audience dramatically increased during lockdown when TikTok surged in popularity.