A monocolor illustration of a young Korean man and woman, smiling with their arms thrown over each others' shoulders. Handwriting in the top left corner reads "Love in the Big City"
Love in the Big City: Heterobaiting and Queering Relationships in Korean Media

Korean queer media and literature do not need to conform to Western definitions of queerness to be meaningful. As I write for an Anglophone queer audience, I am reminded that this dialogue is not about proving the queerness of Korean media, but about expanding the scope of queer representation to include its many forms and contexts. Perhaps, rather than queering Korean media for the West, we should allow its stories to challenge and reshape what we consider queer altogether.

A monocolor illustration of a young Korean man and woman, smiling with their arms thrown over each others' shoulders. Handwriting in the top left corner reads "Love in the Big City"
Love in the Big City: Heterobaiting and Queering Relationships in Korean Media

Korean queer media and literature do not need to conform to Western definitions of queerness to be meaningful. As I write for an Anglophone queer audience, I am reminded that this dialogue is not about proving the queerness of Korean media, but about expanding the scope of queer representation to include its many forms and contexts. Perhaps, rather than queering Korean media for the West, we should allow its stories to challenge and reshape what we consider queer altogether.

A black-and-white Victorian-era photograph of two white AMAB people dressed as women.
Misgendering the Misgendered

I first witnessed a transgender character misgendered by her own author in “The Man Who Thought Himself a Woman,” a short story published anonymously in 1857. The text was assigned for a queer short stories course at UCLA, and while I wasn’t surprised that a transgender character was misgendered by a writer in 1857, I was surprised that a professor of queer studies in 2023 would as well.

Taylor Swift and the #MeToo Midterms

“It is difficult to imagine that Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court over the weekend had no effect specifically on how Swift and other young victims of sexual misconduct view politics.” Content Warning: Sexual Assault and Harassment Country-turned-pop star Taylor…

India Decriminalizes Queer Sex

Graphic by Angela Zheng On September 6, the Supreme Court of India issued a milestone ruling decriminalizing consensual gay sex, CNN reports. Stemming from a law imposed during British imperialism in India, the previously legal Section 377 dictated that  “Whoever…

Starbucks Expands Healthcare Benefits for Trans Employees

Starbucks, a corporation that occupies every other street corner in America, stated on June 25 that they are expanding healthcare benefits for their transgender employees. According to their website, this coverage will include procedures formerly considered “cosmetic.” Their press release…

Queer Candidates Are Flooding the Democratic Field Ahead of November’s Midterm Elections

Nearly two dozen states have already held primary elections to establish each party’s nominees for the midterm elections later this year, and one trend is becoming clear: the Democratic Party is nominating more queer candidates than ever before. With every…

Massachusetts to Introduce New LGBTQ Curriculum to Schools

In Fall 2018, The Boston Herald reports, Massachusetts schools will introduce an optional LGBTQ curriculum to its high schools. The curriculum will include topics in history, English, and health and was developed by teachers and the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ…

Let Them Eat Cake: Why a “Narrow Ruling” Does Not Encourage Discrimination in the Cakeshop Case

You may have awoken to news of the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple on religious grounds. And, like many of us revving up for Pride…

OutWrite Responds to Los Angeles Women’s March 2018

Photo by Anastacia Kellogg One year ago, the Women’s March in DC and its sister marches across the nation became a symbol of resistance against the Trump presidency. Photos of the crowded Women’s March in DC and the poorly attended…