gay representation

A digital illustration of two women holding hands and looking at a painting of two women. The couple's clothing color palette matches the two women's clothing in the painting. The woman on the left has light brown skin, curly brown hair, a blue bandana, and a brown vest over a light blue long-sleeve shirt. The woman on the right has light skin, straight brown hair, a red beret, a tan shirt, and a black purse. The women in the painting wear a red scarf and a blue scarf respectively.

The Underrepresentation of Sapphic Identities in Literature: A Historical Analysis

My first June after discovering sapphic literature was one of eager anticipation. I had loved sapphic novels from the moment I picked up “The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics” the year prior, and waited all year for Pride Month so that I could get new recommendations. Sure enough, they started rolling in! Scrolling through TikTok, I saw video after video advertising “queer book recs.” But what I saw was disappointing at best. In these videos, the word “queer” seemed to be synonymous with male-loving-male (MLM); every single video was full of nothing but MLM novel recommendations.

A photograph of a smiling Alex, a Latino man with light brown skin and black hair wearing a gray suit and American flag socks, sitting on a couch with a smiling Henry, a white man with blonde hair, wearing a black suit, blue slash, and Union Jack socks. The photograph reads, "Love who you want. It's good foreign policy."

Arts & Entertainment

What “Red, White & Royal Blue” Gets Right About Being Queer in Politics — And What It Doesn’t

“I am the First Son of the United States, and I’m bisexual. History will remember us.”

Casey McQuiston’s debut romance novel “Red, White & Royal Blue” has recently been adapted into an Amazon Prime movie, bringing the love story between the American First Son and the Prince of England to the big screen. The film is a winding tale of controversy and copulation, but ends happily with Alex Claremont-Diaz (played by Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Henry Windsor (played by Nicholas Galitzine) stepping into Alex’s childhood home to start the next chapter of their lives together.

A photograph of Nick and Charlie staring lovingly at each other from Netflix's "Heartstopper". Charlie is a young white man with black hair and a red plaid shirt. Nick is a young white man with blonde hair wearing a yellow shirt. Charlie cups Nick's face.

TV

Heartstopper Season 2: Grieving Something I Didn’t Know I Lost

When Season 1 of “Heartstopper” came out in April 2022, I was a senior in high school. I was coming out of yet another situationship with a straight guy. My story was classic: grow close to him, develop feelings, question whether or not he’s straight, confess.

still from everything everywhere all at once, the rock scene

Film

Catharsis Through Queer Media: A Review of “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a love letter to the Asian American immigrant community and a startlingly sincere portrayal of modern queerness. In an era of formulaic superhero films and live-action Disney remakes, it is a breath of fresh air and a reminder that art can be transformative.

simple illustration of a bully going to punch a queer person while thinking of kissing him

Opinion

Who’s To Blame?

Illustrated by Kelly Doherty (She/Her) Straight people can be homophobic. While this may not appear controversial at first glance, vetting media representation of homophobia illuminates the salience and necessity of this assertion. By perpetuating the trope that homophobic individuals are…

illustration of the late Leslie Jordan posing with a cowboy hat in front of a rainbow background

Community

Remembering Leslie Jordan

Only two weeks ago on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, actor, comedian, writer, singer, and dazzling social media presence Leslie Jordan died in a car accident.

still from trick or treat scooby doo showing velma and coco diablo

Arts & Entertainment

Velma Dinkley Just Came Out Of The Closet!

Still by Warner Bros. Animation “Scooby Doo” has been a long-running, popular children’s franchise since 1969. For around 50 years, Velma Dinkley has been the show’s token genius analyst. Her sexuality was questionable, often being paired with the show’s goofball,…

Poetry

patchwork

This poem was originally published in our Spring 2022 print issue “Reflections of Radiance.”

we are
building a new life
painting a new life
writing a new life

cover of the book "filthy animals" by brandon taylor next to a picture of the author, a Black man with short hair and glasses. the background is deep yellow with multicolored stripes

Arts & Entertainment

“Filthy Animals”: An Exploration of Queer Sexuality and Masculinity

I recently read “Filthy Animals” by Brandon Taylor, which was released last year in 2021. I’d been looking to read more explicitly queer novels, ones that explored themes outside traditional YA themes. “Filthy Animals” is an exploration of queer sexuality and masculinity, a book that seems to understand the contradictions between all levels of queer identity. It is a book that aims to explore generational trauma, the past haunting its characters like an ambivalent ghost where the characters crave an intimacy they haven’t before.

photo of Cara Connors, a white lesbian with curly brown hair, a gold faux leather jacket over a black tank top, and faux gold pants, posing with her leg up on a chair

Arts & Entertainment

Candidly Cathartic with Cara Connors: A “Straight for Pay” Review and Interview

Photos by Andrew Max Levy “Basically, long story-short, [my ex-husband] wanted me to be like a housewife-type of person, you know, very traditional and, like, with the kids. And … I just really wanted him to be a woman. TURNS…