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 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 At The End Of The World: A Review of “The Transient Bliss of Death by Fallout”
“Why am I so f****** AWKWARD?” “Alan, it’s not that bad,” you want to say to the dorky guy kicking a blow-up clown. “Pretty much everybody has a ‘Magic Tree House’ phase.”
Of course, you can’t say this because in this version of the world, you would have almost certainly perished in whatever cataclysm left Alan Alderman the last man alive. He now lives in his mother’s basement, explaining his circumstances to a tape recorder for posterity.
Red Cloaks and Breaking Records: How Queer Music Fared at the 2023 Grammys
Music’s biggest night is back! Sunday evening marked the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah in downtown Los Angeles. Nearly all of the industry’s biggest stars filled Crypto.com Arena, hoping to be honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for their songs and albums released between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022. But how did LGBTQ+ music fare at the show overall?
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.
Queer Next Up: juniper harwood
juniper harwood (xe/it) is a neuroqueer digital and textile artist, and beginner jewelry maker! Xyr art has a lot of nostalgic and colorful themes, and a focus on making things that are fun to look at and touch. Its work is informed by experiences of childhood trauma, rebirth and connection.
Queer Next Up: Kostis Fokas
Kostis Fokas (he/him), is a conceptual photographer from Athens, Greece whose artistic practice revolves around the exploration of the complexities of the human body.
![digital illustration of a tiger roaring and bearing its teeth against a textured gray background interspersed with yellow chains. Written in red text across the illustration is “SHAKE YOUR CHAINS TO THE EARTH LIKE DEW YE ARE MANY, THEY ARE FEW”.]](https://outwritenewsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/mask-of-anarchy-chrys-marr-640x450.jpg)
The Mask of Anarchy
Illustrated by Chrys Marr (She/They) This illustration was originally published in our Winter 2022 Volume 1 zine “Queer Rage, Resistance, & Renaissance.“
Uprooted
A comic about feeling disconnected from queer community, history, and elders.
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…
