Being my authentic self was never the hard choice; it never was a choice at all. It was just me.
“Maybe We Got Lost in Translation?”: The Fraught Relationship Between the Church, Sexuality, and the Bible
I remember the Catholic guilt gnawing at my insides when I thought about her, when I felt butterflies flutter in my heart as I glanced at her. I remember teachers in religion classes making it clear where the Church stood on someone like me. I remember hearing about the Bible verses — the dreaded Leviticus 18:22 — and reading about sodomy in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I remember looking up to the sky, thinking, “If this is true, why would you make me this way?”
LGBTQ+ Youth, Lesbian Jesus and a Therapist (in training): The LA LGBT Center’s Models of Pride
On Saturday, October 14, the Los Angeles LGBT Center had their 31st Models of Pride, an event meant to offer a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth and expose them to queer role models. The event included workshops on topics such as sensory art, voguing, and “Dungeons and Dragons” for participants to attend in between speakers (including keynote speaker Dylan Mulvaney!) The main event space — located at the California Science Center — had a welcoming display of colorful inflatable chairs and booths from queer organizations and popular brands like NYX Cosmetics.
Commitments to Queerness: A Review of Netflix’s “XO, Kitty”
“XO, Kitty,” the spinoff of Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” was released in May of this year with decent ratings; with a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 81% and an audience score of 58%, the show has started off on the right foot. That being said, with all the good aspects of the show, there are also bad ones. Let’s start with the good.
Queer Identity and The Importance of Apologies in Netflix’s “Freeridge”
Netflix released the show “On My Block” nearly 5 years ago. The show follows an all-POC friend group (including characters of Black, Latinx, and Asian ethnicities) as they navigate high school, relationships, struggles at home, and a treasure hunt. While it had its fair share of cringy moments, the show was funny and interesting enough for me to watch the first three seasons, so when Netflix released a spin-off that included queer representation, I knew I had to watch it.
Queer Labeling: Why It’s Important And Why It’s Not
How is the LGBTQ+ community defined? We are a collection of letters that correspond to labels that help us define who we are. I personally found that labeling was extremely helpful when defining my attraction to other people.
Mad Tsai Presents “Stacy’s Brother”: An Interview With The Artist
Jonathan Tsai, a.k.a. Mad Tsai, never really expected fame. Tsai started his career as a bedroom pop artist posting music online, locked in his home during a worldwide pandemic with his ukulele and overwhelming emotions to work through. While he had a significant fanbase before the pandemic, Tsai’s audience dramatically increased during lockdown when TikTok surged in popularity.
The Queer Mythology of Morrowind
Ever heard of “Skyrim”? Played it? The third Elder Scrolls game, “Morrowind,” is its grandaddy. Actually no, it’s the weird uncle. The quirky gay uncle. And speaking of quirky gay uncles – but I’m getting ahead of myself. MASSIVE spoilers follow, to say the least.
Best of 2022: Staff Picks for Queer TV
Enjoy our staff’s recommendations for 15 queer TV shows and seasons released in 2022 (in no particular order) and where to watch!
Kit Connor, Biphobia, And The “Perfect” Bisexual
On Oct. 31, 2022, Kit Conner, one of the stars of Netflix’s “Heartstopper,” took to Twitter to announce his bisexuality. He wrote, “back for a minute. i’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. bye.” Fans of the show were quick to reply with messages of support. Many of the replies empathized with him, as viewers were upset that he was forced to relinquish parts of his private life after facing accusations of “queerbaiting” when he was spotted with a girl around his age.
