On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially struck down its ban on blood donations from queer men. This news comes less than four months after the FDA initially proposed these changes in January for a 60-day public comment period.
How Concrete is Forever?: The Existentialism of Miley Cyrus’ “Endless Summer Vacation”
The world’s favorite openly pansexual pop star is back with new music, as Miley Cyrus’ highly anticipated eighth studio album “Endless Summer Vacation” was released on March 10. Since the record’s official announcement in January, Cyrus has remained fairly elusive, even while her dance-infused self-love anthem “Flowers” reigned atop the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. In her first full-length LP since 2020’s critically acclaimed “Plastic Hearts,” Cyrus exhibits an elevated level of pensiveness and rumination on her latest project’s twelve songs.
The Homophiles, the Liberationists, and Us
Activism is rough, and we throw a lot of words around at each other. “Assimilationist!” “Unrealistic!” “Conformist!” “Aggressive!” LGBTQ+ activism has not only been met with virulent backlash from the cisgender, heterosexual side of society but also has been plagued by intra-community conflict on the best ways to do things. The tension surrounding LGBTQ+ activism boils down to a push and pull between outright rebellion and more incremental forms of justice. This conflict is not specific to the LGBTQ+ community; all sorts of movements spanning different identities and ideas encounter the contentious dichotomy between abolition and reform.
Butterflies
A poem recounting a personal experience with queerness and trauma and coming to terms with it.
Queer Next Up: Atom Fellows
Atom Fellows (they/them) is a musician/filmmaker and YouTuber whose show, The Anarchy Funhouse, tackles the world’s most intractable issues using music, animation and puppets!
Welcome To Myylo’s World, Say “Ahh”
Myylo is the sonic equivalent of someone wrapping you in their arms. An independent artist and songwriter who blends pop, country, and folk, he provides a refreshing, lighthearted take on the ins and outs of falling in love as a queer person. Following a string of EPs and singles, including the playful “Kissing On Your Dad” and notable cuts with Zolita, Dorian Electra, JORDY, and That Kid, Myylo released his debut album, “Ahh,” in December of 2022.
Queer Indie Magic: A Tour Through boygenius’ Debut LP “the record” and “the film”
While we often see bands and musical groups split up to allow for the rise of one member, it’s not as common to see the opposite, where separate, successful, independent artists come together to form a group. However, when this rare occurrence takes place, it can create something amazing. Such is the case with the indie rock group boygenius, stylized in all lowercase. Composed of some of the most famous names in the indie/queer music scene, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus started boygenius in 2018. The three artists came together as friends and decided to make music together before they all set off on tour.
Queer Next Up: Heather Muriel Nguyen
Heather Muriel Nguyen (they/them) is an asexual, non-binary, and Vietnamese-American filmmaker passionate about visceral stories that center queer and trans characters of color grappling with intergenerational trauma and self-love. Their films build a multiverse of unapologetically queer stories with captivating platonic relationships.
Visibility and Representation: A Look Into the UCLA Pride Softball Game and an Interview with Coach Kirk Walker
On April 8, 2023, UCLA softball had its annual Pride Game against the Oregon State Beavers. I attended the game to see how Pride was celebrated and also sat down with Head Coach Kirk Walker, the first out D1 coach in the country. He also co-founded the Equality Coaching Alliance and the LGBT Sports Coalition to promote inclusion in sports. Walker received a kinesiology degree from UCLA in 1988, then began his softball coaching career immediately after. He is also a skilled athlete in men’s fastpitch softball and has won two national titles playing as a pitcher. With Walker, the Bruins have made it to seven NCAA Championships and 17 Women’s College World Series.
