Being my authentic self was never the hard choice; it never was a choice at all. It was just me.
Happy Pride! Our Commitment to Palestine
Stonewall serves as a reminder of the power of the masses to disrupt an oppressive status quo.
Toloposungo: All Police Are a Gonorrhea
Daniela Maldonado Salamanca, a transgender Colombian sex worker activist and punk singer, spoke about queer resistance at the People’s University for a Liberated Palestine on May 20. Hosted by the UCLA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the People’s University offers a space “to foster our own learning and mutual support.” SJP established the People’s University following UCLA’s failure to protect and care for its people.
Pride Admit Weekend: What It Is and What It Gives
From informative presentations to a self-defense workshop to a Drag King performance, this year’s annual Pride Admit Weekend (PAW) left its impact on new admits!
We Are Entering Our 2024 Election Voting Era: Why Voting Slays
At thirteen, I remember my parents frantically looking through a box in their closet containing important documents. They were searching for their citizenship papers, even though they had been United States citizens long before the election of a candidate whose campaign centered around deporting immigrants. My mother found the documents, held them closely, and sighed, relieved that everything was in order. Such was not the case for many other immigrants in the United States. Extended family and friends we knew were forced out of their homes, and their lives were forever changed. The fear that ensued from the results of the 2016 election was how I was first introduced to voting.
How a Queer Disabled Student is Fighting for Health, Safety, and Education
How many people do you notice in your lectures wearing masks? How many coughs do you hear? Even though federal and state government policies treat COVID-19 risk with little concern, health science research continues to demonstrate the necessity of masking to prevent its contraction. COVID is a multi-systemic, vascular disease that damages every system in your body. Each COVID-19 infection that you contract results in cumulative damage, weakening the immune system. Weakened immune systems aren’t able to fight off infection as readily, meaning that any sickness can potentially be life-threatening and disabling. Unchecked immune system damage forces constant sickness to be many people’s new reality.
Queer Prom: Fantasy Is a Radical Reality
UCLA’s Gender, Sexuality, and Society Living-Learning Community (GSS LLC) held its annual Queer Prom on March 1, 2024. The event was decorated around a “fantasy” theme — colored-paper windows resembled the stained glass of a chapel, long vines entangled every chair, and a projection of a firefly-lit forest flashed the words “Queer Prom 2024” in bold letters.
The Growing Future of Queer Bruins in STEM
I’m near the end of the room, tracing each student with my eyes. It’s my first day of discussion at UCLA, and my biology TA has us going around the room saying our name, year, major, and a fun fact about ourselves. My heart thuds in my chest and my instincts tell me to run. My name is Claude now — I no longer have the comfort of living in a cisgender girl’s skin.
Homelessness and Familiar Faces
“As a queer person specifically, there was never a moment of rest — whether living in my car or on the streets — I always had to be on high alert. I was always filled with adrenaline. Trying to sleep on the streets, all you can think about is: ‘Is anyone coming?’”
Pride Admit Weekend Needs More Volunteers: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
I had the pleasure of interviewing Outwrite’s own Ava Rosenberg (they/she) as they prepare for Pride Admit Weekend (PAW) on April 12–14, 2024. PAW at UCLA is the only queer yield program in the country, running for eleven years and counting. In order to keep this awesome tradition alive, PAW needs more volunteers to help run the event. Ava gave me a rundown of what PAW is like and what kind of people are needed to make it happen.
