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.

A Reflection on National Coming Out Day

Friday, October 13, 2017 National Coming Out Day takes place on October 11th, the anniversary of the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The day was founded in 1988 as a celebration of coming out and a day…

Project 1 Hosts Fundraiser for Russian LGBTQ+ Refugees

In order to raise solidarity, funds, and action against the LGBT concentration camps in Chechnya, Russia, the UCLA LGBT Campus Resource Center hosted a fundraiser on Thursday, May 11, 2017. Organized by first-year political science major and French minor Gina…

University of Chicago Condemns “Trigger Warnings,” and Safe Spaces; Misunderstands What It’s Condemning

The prestigious University of Chicago issued a letter to its incoming freshmen stating that they will no longer condone the use of “intellectual safe spaces” or “‘trigger warnings.’” This letter, penned by Dean John “Jay” Ellison, is UChicago’s effort to fully…

To Live Proudly: Reflections on 2016 Pride in the Wake of the Orlando Massacre

Language warning: I use “queer” as a reflection of my own identity — this is a personal piece and not designed to force the term onto anyone in the LGBT community not comfortable with using it for themselves. A few…

Asian American “Apathy”

With the intensification of the Black Lives Matter movement across the U.S., I often find conflicting views of where exactly Asian Americans fit into conversations about social justice. Those outside of our community often criticize us for being apathetic. Within…

An Open Letter to Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest

Dear Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest, While usually I would applaud the efforts of people who seek to counter discrimination and safeguard the rights of regularly marginalized groups, I would draw the line where such efforts enter the realm of insulting,…

The Gender Conundrum: An Introduction

Does anyone remember when “gender” and “sex” used to be synonyms? Language constantly evolves, especially during times of social change. As America grows more and more PC nowadays, it can seem overwhelming to keep up with all the new words…