Graphic Illustrated by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) *This article is a modern analysis of the themes and content of “The Genesis of LGBTQ2IA” (Fall 2001), the first installment of our From The Archive series”* In “The Genesis of LGBTQ2IA,” there is…
Rejecting ‘Born this Way’: Critiques of an Intrinsic Queerness
Graphic compiled by Zoë Collins (she/her)Photos by Hans Beimler As queer people, there are narratives and talking points that define our humanity from day one. Our rights to live, love, and thrive are considered up for debate. We are exposed…
RuPaul and The Never-Ending Struggle Of Visibility
Graphic by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) After thirteen seasons, RuPaul has finally let his first cisgender, heterosexual performer on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Her name is Maddy Morphasis, and she is a cishet man that does drag! At first glance, this is…
The Contra-versial Nuances of Queerness
CW: Queerphobia, transphobia, acephobia, biphobia “Gen Z queer people are hard to figure out,” reads a now deleted tweet by Natalie Wynn, known by her online moniker, ContraPoints. “They’re like, ‘I’m an asexual slut who loves sex! You don’t have…
Bashing Back: Why Self-Defense Matters
Illustrated by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) The subject of guns rarely comes up in queer spaces, and it’s no mystery why: right wingers dominate the discourse on self-defense, gun ownership, and Second Amendment rights, and their record on queer positivity has…
Just Say “They”
Illustrated by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) Most of us have that one thing that makes us tick, that specific issue that most folks don’t really get but generally understand because they, too, have their own pet peeves. Every time, without fail,…
Taking Care of Yourself When It’s Hard To Care
Photo by Zoë Collins (She/Her) During these, ahem, unprecedented times, it can sometimes feel hard to care about anything, let alone care about ourselves. I’m sure you’ve come across numerous self-care articles over these past few months, and I’m sure…
Distance Has Never Stopped Queer Love
Graphic by Kas Greenbaum (They/He) The coronavirus pandemic has changed how people are able to connect to each other. Masks stop not just germs but smiles; social distancing prevents not just transmission but hugs. Young queer people especially have found themselves…
Quarantining in the Closet
Graphic by Nick Griffin (He/Him) The day UCLA sent us home, I felt the identity I spent months cultivating, months accepting, recoiled into hiding. The validation I received from queer circles at UCLA, those that accepted who I am and…
Coming Out is a Choice
Graphic by Ria Kotak “Coming out” is one of the most commonly recognized aspects of the queer experience. It’s a moment that’s defined by the reactions we get (whether or not our family and friends accept us, what happens…