queer pride – OutWrite

narrative photography depicting Jericho, an Asian person, emerging in a gold, radiant form from a dull, purple lotus flower

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.

photo of Thomas Chinarro, a white man with light brown, short curly hair, round glasses, a loose short-sleeve, off-yellow button up shirt, and black pants, standing in front of the ocean

Community

Queer Next Up: Thomas Chinarro

Thomas Chinarro (he/him) is a 19-year-old British & French singer-songwriter. Previously featured on emerging artist Opaline’s track “To Be Yours,” his new single “violets,” written and performed with mac gray…

Community

Queer Next Up: The Pin Prick

Zar (he/him), from The Pin Prick, is an artist whose online shop features inclusive rainbow enamel pins and accessories.

I'm an educator at our local aquarium, and a few weeks ago, I had a band of young girls come up to me and listen attentively as I taught them about whale vertebrae and feeding patterns. One question seemed to prompt the next, and they stayed with me until the end of my shift. After I said goodbye, a young girl chased after me and shouted down the hallway. hey! I turned around to answer any lingering whale questions, but to my surprise, she just gave me a big hug. And she told me, "i want to be just like you when i grow up." In my search for "queer joy." I usually find myself coming up short. Because it would be amazing if I felt pride and joy in my identity, but usually I just wish that I could be like everybody else. It's exhausting to feel so often like a square peg in a round hole, but sometimes all you need is a whale cart. Sometimes it's just one thing that makes all the rest okay, and if "queer joy" feels like a million miles away, "queer getting by" or "queer keeping-my-head- above-water" is just as important. My guess is you're reading this in search of queer joy and I'm sorry I can't make content to fit that bill. but you being here searching for it is really beautiful, too.

Art & Illustration

Whale Cart

Created by Zoë Collins (She/Her) This piece was originally published in our Spring 2022 print issue “Reflections of Radiance.“

photo of Rhiannon, a white nonbinary person with colorful makeup and a red Protect Trans Youth shirt

Community

Art as Activism with Rhiannon Salt: Disability Pride (Month) Spotlight

Photos and Artworks by Rhiannon Salt (They/He) **Content Warning: brief mentions of abuse and toxic relationships, mentions of dissociating and other symptoms of chronic illness and mental illnesses** This article will highlight the moments when the CW is relevant, but…

Collage of words colored by a disability pride flag gradient on an almost black background. The words cluster around “disabled & queer” and include ADHD, Latine, cancer survivor, Black, nonbinary, autistic, chronically ill, mad, transgender, sick, lesbian, Deaf, Marfanoid, low vision, OCD, aromantic, Filipinx, acespec

Community

Disability Pride Month: An Introduction

Graphic by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) As we leave June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we are welcomed by July’s Disability Pride Month. First celebrated in 1990 in Boston, Disability Pride is essentially a celebration of the bodies and minds we have. This…

cartoon illustration of a tall metal gate connecting stone walls. the archway reads "queer community" and is guarded by a cop next to a sign reading "must be this queer to enter." in front stands a group of three kids looking confused

Opinion

Back in My Day, We Stayed Closeted in Middle School

Illustrated by Steph Liu (She/Her) This article was originally published in our Winter 2022 Volume 1 zine “Queer Rage, Resistance, & Renaissance.“ Personally, middle school is neither a place nor a period of my life I ever need to revisit,…

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”.]

Art & Illustration

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.“

photo of a brown nonbinary person looking.off camera in front of green foliage. they. have glasses, shouldere length black hair, and. a blue and pink striped shirt and matching necklace

Creative Writing

I Don’t Get To Choose Who I Love: An Essay on Bisexuality

Photo by Zoë Colliins (she/her) I used to wonder if there was something wrong with me. I had an affinity for all genders but was often told that it was impossible because, eventually, I’d have to “choose” my future lover…

the word "femme" in dark pink on a pastel pink and orange background, surrounded by a pastel progress pride flag, lipstick, high heels, and talking lips

Femininity in the Queer Community: An Analysis of Too Femme To Fit (Winter 2002)

Graphic by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) *This article is a modern analysis of the themes and content of “Too Femme To Fit“ (Winter 2002), the ninth installment of our From The Archive series.* “If your presence disturbs me, I have the responsibility…