Illustrated by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) Most of us have that one thing that makes us tick, that specific issue that most folks don’t really get but generally understand because they, too, have their own pet peeves. Every time, without fail,…
Coming Out(Write): Our Stories
Graphic by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) Members of the queer community are expected to “come out” because our society views being cisgender and heterosexual as the default. However, everyone’s identity is their own. We should be able to come out on…
wherever you are
Photo by Zoë Collins (She/Her) come out. come out. the voices only murmur, but they reverberate along the walls, amplifying with every echo as they reach your ears. it’s a call. it’s a threat. come out. come out. the shiver…
Starfish, Gay Sex, and Queer Ecology
Photo by Zoë Collins (She/Her) I’ve long been plagued by the idea that my sexuality is “unnatural.” Unnatural is a funny word. Simply defined, it is the scope of anything outside of the ordinary course of nature. But when you…
Headlights
Photo by Zoë Collins (She/Her) Julia’s headlights lit up the road in front of her, darkness curling around the light’s edge and lurking behind every corner. Music was flooding through her crackling speakers, its rhythm syncing with the loud pound…
Taking Care of Yourself When It’s Hard To Care
Photo by Zoë Collins (She/Her) During these, ahem, unprecedented times, it can sometimes feel hard to care about anything, let alone care about ourselves. I’m sure you’ve come across numerous self-care articles over these past few months, and I’m sure…
Distance Has Never Stopped Queer Love
Graphic by Kas Greenbaum (They/He) The coronavirus pandemic has changed how people are able to connect to each other. Masks stop not just germs but smiles; social distancing prevents not just transmission but hugs. Young queer people especially have found themselves…
Quarantining in the Closet
Graphic by Nick Griffin (He/Him) The day UCLA sent us home, I felt the identity I spent months cultivating, months accepting, recoiled into hiding. The validation I received from queer circles at UCLA, those that accepted who I am and…
Bi Representation in Disney’s “The Owl House”
Image courtesy of Disney In January 2020, Disney Channel debuted “The Owl House,” an animated series created by Dana Terrace. The pilot episode introduces fourteen-year-old Luz Noceda (voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles), resident weird kid, who discovers a magical portal to…
Being Queer in a Small Town during COVID-19
Photos by Jaden King When UCLA announced that online instruction would begin Week 10 of winter quarter and last until April 10, ultimately to be extended throughout the remainder of the academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I contemplated…
