an illustration of a moth and butterfly dodging a net
Poetry
Butterflies

A poem recounting a personal experience with queerness and trauma and coming to terms with it.

photo of a brown haired girl holding a flower in front of her face, partially hiding a smile
Poetry
Sometimes

A poem about unrequited feelings and the occasional resurfacing of memories that come with it.

photo of writer Alex Penland by the coast
Community
Queer Next Up: Alex Penland

Alex Penland (they/them) is an author, creative writing student, Smithsonian alumnus, and linguist . They primarily write SFF (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction), but also dabble in poetry.

photo of a small brown and white speckled bird sitting in a tree
Creative Writing
parajitos

A poem about the way our institutions and some people fail to protect young trans people and profit off their deaths in different ways, while the people who loved them are left to deal with the actual grief. 

illustrated patchwork quilt with a different scene on each panel, including a sun tattoo, a map of california and texas, a pinky promise, a pitcher pouring out water, a paintbrush with red paint, and a skeleton with an exposed heart.
Poetry
patchwork

This poem was originally published in our Spring 2022 print issue “Reflections of Radiance.”

we are
building a new life
painting a new life
writing a new life

grow out the roots of your heart so that is becomes sturdy and resilient. keep yourself and those who you love inside, for it is your true home after all. deep orange background cover in illustrated luscious green leaves and roots being watered by a pink watering can
Art & Illustration
Roots

Illustrated by Chrys Marr (She/They) This piece was originally published in our Spring 2022 print issue “Reflections of Radiance.“

illustrated movie poster reading "jackson harris presents: I hate it that you know me. featuring the heart psychic. magician you don't listen." it depicts a black woman with a magenta afro wearing an off the shoulder deep pink flowy top and gold bangles as she. holds a beating anatomical heart.
Creative Writing
i hate it that you know me

magician you don’t listen
all your tricks have worked on me
I’m in a hundred million pieces and we last spoke in my dreams
please lead me back inside the gardens where our lives and love have peaked

painterly digital artwork depicting a pair of amber eyes with subtle pink eye makeup. their skin is light and their eyebrows are dark brown.
Creative Writing
Aliveness

Artwork by Cole Lopez (They/Them) The morning my grandfather died             I slept. An ocean away I dreamt             that an angel leaned to kiss his cheek And I tried to push it away but instead              I screamed  My hands passing through…

illustration of a person with long hair and a black dress looking into a tri-fold mirror. one side of their reflection shows a woman with styled long hair, jewelry, and a strapless black dress. the other side shows a masculine figure with a baseball cap, sweatshirt, and jeans
Creative Writing
Dressing Room

Graphic by Kelly (She/Her) I’m in a department store trying on clothes and they all fit in the technical sense, not too tight and in colors that make my eyes pop and my mother tells me I look beautiful, so…

black and white photo of handwritten letter lit by two candles
Creative Writing
a letter to my love

Photo by Zoë Collins (she/her) Accompanied by Seethers’ Careless Whisper – Listen Now i want to meet you in a different universe.i’m not sure if i’m ready to meet you in this one. i’m not sure if i will ever…

Featured Posts
A digital illustration of a capybara with an astronaut hat on. Blue and yellow stars surround the capybara. At the top of the image is the text "paw."
Campus
Pride Admit Weekend: What It Is and What It Gives
A digital illustration of a person with wavy short hair wearing a shirt that says, "Voting Is Cunty." Everything is pink.
Politics & News
We Are Entering Our 2024 Election Voting Era: Why Voting Slays
A photograph of yellow, purple, and white flowers in a field of grass.
Politics & News
Fighting for the Queer Youth: In Loving Memory of Nex Benedict
A photograph of Gwen, an Asian woman with red hair, glasses, and light skin. She's wearing a shirt with fur lining and multiple necklaces. Gwen stands in front of an informational poster entitled "Reducing the Risk of COVID-19."
Campus
How a Queer Disabled Student is Fighting for Health, Safety, and Education
A photograph of a fence along a path to the beach. Each fence post has an individual's name in blue or red letters.
Politics & News
Seeking Safety: LGBTQ+ Migrants Fight for Asylum
A photograph of three people's legs and black heels. From left to right, the people are wearing a short black skirt, a long white skirt, and black slacks respectively. The lighting is a blue to pink gradient.
Campus
Queer Prom: Fantasy is a Radical Reality
A photograph taken from an aerial view of blurry people walking in various directions. The ground is composed of gray stones.
Community
Homelessness and Familiar Faces
A digital illustration of a capybara with an astronaut hat on. Blue and yellow stars surround the capybara. At the top of the image is the text "paw."
Campus
Pride Admit Weekend Needs More Volunteers: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
A digital illustration of a light-skinned masc person in a black cap, black leather harness, and black pants. They have a beard and short hair. They face away from the audience in a dimly lit abandoned gay bar called "Rock Bottom." The only visible light is from their phone open to an ambiguous social media. The room is lit with a deep pinkish purple.
Community
The Destruction of Queer Public Spaces Has Forced Us Online
for tomorrow's article! A digital illustration of a fem person and a masc person looking at each other from the ends of two separate lines. One line is composed of fem people's pink silhouettes, and the other is composed of masc people's blue silhouettes. The fem person has brown skin, black hair in a ponytail, a purple shirt, and a tan bag. The masc person has white skin, short brown hair, a blue shirt, and a black backpack. He looks worried. They are in a school setting approaching a bulletin board with various flyers on it.
Politics & News
Oklahoma School Bans Gender Change
A digital illustration of Barbie, a blonde white woman with blue eyes in a black and white striped top and gold hoop earrings. She looks alarmed. Another woman with a brown skin tone and black nail polish cups Barbie's cheek. The Mattel logo in rainbow is behind Barbie. The top text reads "This Barbie is GAY PANICKING." Next to Barbie, the text reads, "AGHHHHH OMH SHE'S SO PRETTY OMGHA,ASGHJK." The entire image's background is light blue.
Short Story
“What Was I Made For?”: Thoughts of a Queer Barbie
A digital illustration of two groups of silhouetted people. One group is silent and holds the Intersex-Inclusive Pride Progress Flag. The other group is led by an individual holding up their hand and shouting. The background is a light purple, and a light yellow starburst is behind the flag.
Community
The Fight Over Flags
A digital illustration of a green chalkboard with a wooden frame. A white piece of chalk sits on the left side. In the center of the chalkboard is a drawn rainbow.
Opinion
Why Queer Education Matters
A photograph of Schuyler Bailar, an Asian trans man with light skin, black hair, and black facial hair. He is shirtless with visible top surgery scars, and he holds the trans flag above his head; the flag streams out behind him.
Community
Schuyler Bailar’s Intersectional Impact as an East Asian Transgender Man
A digital illustration of various sapphic couples from television. The largest couple on the left hand side is Amity, a white girl with short purple hair, a black tunic, a moon necklace, and pointy ears, and Luz, a Latina girl with brown skin, orange-brown hair, a half-cloak, and black studs, from "The Owl House." Amity cups Luz's face and holds her hand. At the bottom right corner are Beatrice, an Asian woman with dark purple hair in a bun and a cross scar on her cheek, and Ava, a white woman with orange-brown bobbed hair, from "Warrior Nun." Ava is smiling affectionately at Beatrice who is speaking. At the top right corner are Sydney, a white girl with short pink hair in an orange tank top and necklace, and Dina, a Black girl with dark curly hair and a white tank top, from "I Am Not Okay With This." Sydney leans against Dina and looks up at her lovingly. Various swirls and hearts surround all the couples.
Arts & Entertainment
From “I Am Not Okay With This” to “Everything Sucks”: A Lack of Lesbians in Media
A digital illustration of two women holding hands and looking at a painting of two women. The couple's clothing color palette matches the two women's clothing in the painting. The woman on the left has light brown skin, curly brown hair, a blue bandana, and a brown vest over a light blue long-sleeve shirt. The woman on the right has light skin, straight brown hair, a red beret, a tan shirt, and a black purse. The women in the painting wear a red scarf and a blue scarf respectively.
Literature
The Underrepresentation of Sapphic Identities in Literature: A Historical Analysis
An illustration of a light-skinned girl with long light brown hair in a pink sweater holding hands with a girl with brown skin and her dark brown curls tied up in a bun in a white turtleneck and red shirt. They both look backwards and up, their faces filled with worry. Blue silhouettes of people with angry faces loom above them.
Arts & Entertainment
The Oversexualization of Lesbian Relationships in Media
A photograph of a white and orange rugby ball on blue artificial turf. In the background are UCLA rugby players.
Sports
A Try at UCLA Women’s Rugby — Interview with Kelsey on UCLA Athletics and Being Trans
A map of Asia over the progress flag
Politics & News
Asia’s Steps Toward Queerness in 2023
A photograph of a desert landscape including various shrubbery, cliffs, and distant mountains. The ground is edited to be a deep purple, and the sky, light pink.
Creative Writing
A Jigsaw Puzzle Is an Act of Creation
Follow Us