At 2:30 am on Thursday, October 2nd, Aniya Parker was shot point-blank in the head on an East Hollywood side street. She was Black, and she was transgender. She did not die instantly, but passed away later while in surgery.…
The Chronicle Life of an Asexual
I was maybe seven when my mom told me, “Don’t open your legs.” That was pretty much the extent of any talk around sex or relationships that I ever received from her. Sexuality is shameful. I was maybe eight when…
Why You Should be Watching Amazon’s Transparent
Amazon’s new TV series shows that transgender storylines don’t have to revolve around prostitution or CSI body bags. If you’re looking for positive queer representation on television, it’s time to turn off the cable and go to your on-demand streaming…
Janet Mock’s Outrage for her Trans* Identity
On February 5, Janet Mock, a 29-year-old trans activist of color and author of Redefining Realness was interviewed on Piers Morgan Live. Throughout the interview, he continually referred to her past identity “as a man,” claiming that she “was a…
The Safety of Restrooms
Restrooms are essential in our lives. Cisgender individuals, those who identify with their gender at birth, never have to worry about deciding which bathroom to use. But when it comes to transgender, genderqueer, or non-binary individuals, that decision is not…
What I Did For Love
“Do you have to fuck someone in order to be able to sleep next to them?” This question is directed towards the protagonist Franck, but is more likely meant for the gay audience watching. In the French psycho-thriller film…
Too Gay for Town?
Of all the places in the country one might expect virulent outcries against the idea of a new gay bar, a small town in Mississippi is not the most surprising. If Los Angeles citizens signed a petition against the opening…
Gender Health: Coming Out
“You must come out,” cried Harvey Milk in 1978, in a time when living one’s entire life closeted remained a common practice. But Harvey Milk urged his queer audience to come out to everyone they knew, everyone involved in…
Queer Film: La Vie d’Adèle
Blue Is the Warmest Colour, or La Vie d’Adèle—Chapitres 1 & 2, is a 2013 French romantic drama film written, produced, and directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year and…
L.A. Public Schools to Teach Queer History
As soon as next year, history classes in Los Angeles public high schools will begin teaching LGBTQ history. In celebration of the 25th annual National Coming Out Day this past October, Los Angeles United School District, or L.A.U.S.D., announced…