You step into the first meeting of Student Media’s queerest magazine, OutWrite. It is one of UCLA’s hidden gems, where people can truly be themselves. You applied as a writer on a whim. This was the first queer organization you were involved with during your college career. Seeing other people enjoy their time at OutWrite (and finding you do, too), you stay in the organization for the remainder of your academic years. You drift from being a staff writer to becoming a Developmental Editor and even a co-host of “Speak Out,” OutWrite’s very own podcast, each role challenging your creativity. Here, you are allowed to flourish, trying different techniques to hone your craft.
Recipe for a Resurrection
Collage by Charis/OutWrite This collage was originally published in our Winter 2023 print issue “Culture.”
Creation and Recreation
In the era before the internet, queer communities were localized, each one unique to its geographic area. When the AIDS pandemic spread throughout the world, killing an estimated 1 in 15 gay men in America by 1995, it not only came with a horrific loss of life, but also decimated communities and networks of queer people across the country.
Araki and the Apocalypse
It’s not every day that your new gay crush climbs through your window, confesses their love, and then promptly explodes in a shower of blood “Alien” style, leaving behind a cockroach-like extraterrestrial. But it happens in Gregg Araki’s surrealist sextravaganza “Nowhere.”
The (Re)Birth of Venus
The Rebirth of Venus is a creative photography project that aims to recreate the iconic birth of Venus painting through a queer lens. We intend to challenge traditional notions of beauty, gender, and sexuality, while also shedding light on the current socio-political climate towards LGBTQ+ communities in the United States.
Through this visually captivating photo, we hope to inspire thought-provoking conversations and foster a greater understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.
What the Devil is That Racket?!
On March 26th, 2021, Lil Nas X dropped “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” the lead single for his album “MONTERO” and a passionate declaration of queer love and desire. The single by itself would likely have received a largely positive reaction, as Lil Nas X already had considerable recognition. However, “MONTERO”’s music video featured Lil Nas X as an angel who rides down a pole from Heaven to Hell and gives the Devil a lapdance.
Identities Intertwined: A Review of “lead me to the lilies” at Chinese American Culture Night 2023
On May 6, 2023, UCLA’s Association of Chinese Americans hosted its 34th annual Chinese American Culture Night. The three-hour production featured performances by several Chinese cultural clubs and its main show, “lead me to the lilies.” As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout the month of May and anticipate Pride Month in June, “lead me to the lilies” beautifully portrays certain nuances of the queer, second-generation Asian American experience.
Queer Next Up: Evan Collins
Evan Collins (he/him) a trans filmmaker from Ontario, Canada with interests in accessibility, musical theatre and Sign Language. He typically works in horror films and documentaries but loves going outside that comfort zone.
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!
