Poetry

collage representing trans bodies in nature
Art & Illustration

Recognized Amongst Nature

photos of a white gay man holding roses
Poetry

Anonymous, Anonymous

an illustration of a moth and butterfly dodging a net
Poetry

Butterflies

collage representing trans bodies in nature
Art & Illustration
Recognized Amongst Nature

here
a wretched body becomes comfortable turmoil
untangles
from within a forsaken shell
The forest won’t judge flesh
blood   and bone
a family of limbs

photos of a white gay man holding roses
Poetry
Anonymous, Anonymous

I have this dream of dying in complete silence, and when the neighbors call to complain about the smell a few days later (and the firemen kick the door in), they’ll find my mother sitting calmly at the dining room table, knife in hand around a halo of sunburnt faces cutting branches from the family tree

an illustration of a moth and butterfly dodging a net
Poetry
Butterflies

A poem recounting a personal experience with queerness and trauma and coming to terms with it.

photo of a brown haired girl holding a flower in front of her face, partially hiding a smile
Poetry
Sometimes

A poem about unrequited feelings and the occasional resurfacing of memories that come with it.

photo of writer Alex Penland by the coast
Community
Queer Next Up: Alex Penland

Alex Penland (they/them) is an author, creative writing student, Smithsonian alumnus, and linguist . They primarily write SFF (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction), but also dabble in poetry.

illustration of a pearl being washed over by the sea
Poetry
Nacre

A poem in yearning memory of a past relationship.

illustration of a lesbian holding a perfect lesbian trophy on top of a podium
Poetry
Straight Women Rules: A Guide to Being the Perfect Lesbian®

There’s a lot of wondering and a lot of waiting. I understand what you might be feeling. I know that you’re biting your tongue, and always waiting till you make them uncomfortable.

illustrated sour candy scattered across a white background
Poetry
Sage Green Love Song

Give me something to leave behind
A sour candy kiss in the theater
Worse things have made me lose my mind.

photo of a small brown and white speckled bird sitting in a tree
Creative Writing
parajitos

A poem about the way our institutions and some people fail to protect young trans people and profit off their deaths in different ways, while the people who loved them are left to deal with the actual grief. 

illustrated patchwork quilt with a different scene on each panel, including a sun tattoo, a map of california and texas, a pinky promise, a pitcher pouring out water, a paintbrush with red paint, and a skeleton with an exposed heart.
Poetry
patchwork

This poem was originally published in our Spring 2022 print issue “Reflections of Radiance.”

we are
building a new life
painting a new life
writing a new life

Welcome to OutWrite!

Established in 1979 at the University of California, Los Angeles, OutWrite Newsmagazine is the oldest queer college publication in the United States. OutWrite strives to build a growing educational platform through a multi-media approach that uplifts and empowers the often silenced voices of the incredibly diverse queer community. We aim to challenge dominant cisheteronormative narratives through an unapologetically anti-queerphobic, anti-racist, and progressive lens.