In light of the negative sentiment toward transgender athletes, I’ve found there isn’t enough coverage of queer and trans athletes that celebrates their accomplishments. In honor of the 2024 Paris Olympics slogan “Games wide open,” I’ve compiled a list of 15 queer athletes who are excelling in their sport, competing in the 2024 Paris games, or both.
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.
Good News Amongst the Bad: Recent Pro-Trans Legislation
In the past year or so, there has been a scourge of discriminatory legislation targeting the entire Queer community, transgender individuals in particular. Bills have been introduced in state legislatures that attack freedom of expression, access to gender-affirming care, education, and visibility for the transgender and broader Queer community. These laws are an astonishing and frightening violation of basic human rights and speak to a worrying rise in widespread anti-transgender intolerance. Essentially, conservative politicians are trying to write Queer and trans people out of existence.
Annelle Staal: Now Streaming
When most people think of the popular live streaming platform Twitch, they think of “Fortnite” fiends or online chess tournaments. The platform, however, is also a thriving hub for musicians who put on powerful performances for eager audiences, live from their bedrooms. Annelle Staal, who boasts nearly 60 thousand followers, is one such savant.
Why is it So Hard to Access All-Gender Bathrooms in UCLA Dorm Housing?
To get access to the all-gender bathroom in on-campus housing with communal bathrooms (residence halls with classic or deluxe room types), a resident must contact their RA for a link to a request form. After filling out the request, the resident must then wait one to three business days for an email from the Residential Life (ResLife) Assistant Director that confirms that a key for the all-gender bathroom is ready for pick up. Finally, the resident must go to the front desk and pick up the key card.
Queer Next Up: VATTICA
VATTICA (they/them) is an artist and self-described soapbox snark for social change who writes alt-rock anthems for our dystopia.
Queer Next Up: Annelle Staal
Annelle Staal (they/them) is a compellingly honest songwriter and storyteller. A pioneer in the world of virtual performance and a visionary in their artistry, Annelle’s sound varies from blue-eyed soul to organic acoustic pop and nostalgic 80s inspired sounds.
Love Songs of a Different Tune: A Valentine’s Day Revisit with Rio Romeo
Last year, we interviewed butch lesbian singer-songwriter Rio Romeo about their Valentine’s Day release, “Bet.” They’ve released a full EP since then, “Good God!” — a project full of what they called “love songs” in our last conversation (they certainly delivered). Just a couple days ago, they released a new single, “Danke Schoen.” Now, a year later, we all meet again, under some of the same conditions as last time. It feels almost like meeting an old friend, and we all catch up for a couple minutes before diving in.
The 250-Year-Old “Fad”: The Public Universal Friend and Gender Nonconformity Then and Now
1776 was a chaotic year: so hectic that barely anyone noticed that a young woman named Jemima Wilkinson lay dying. The person who awoke the next morning bore a different name and a different purpose: The Public Universal Friend was born.
The Feminine Man: Homophobia, Femininity, And The Cisheteropatriarchy
I experienced homophobia within my first two weeks at UCLA — a surprise considering Chancellor Gene Block deemed UCLA no place for discrimination in his new undergraduate student welcome speech.
