In 2021, trans folks on Twitter debated about the ethics and usefulness of a venture-funded app suite called Euphoria, meant to facilitate transitions. While the trans world moved on, one trans guy didn’t. Oliver Haimson was fascinated. In 2019, he opened a note on his phone titled “Trans Technology” and started a running list. It had four initial entries: […]
Category: Arts and Entertainment
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Chicago queer artist Andy Bellomo highlights underrepresented queer experiences in her work
Andy Bellomo’s art practice sparked from a place often filled with controversy in the queer community—Christian church. Bellomo’s love of art blossomed while observing stained glass windows in churches she attended with a friend growing up in Boston. Now an educator and artist in Chicago, she focuses much of her creative work on queer people […]
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Queer and trans podcasts you may not know about yet – but should put in your listening roster
According to Statista, 59% of people aged 12-34 and 55% of people aged 35-55 listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. In fact, there’s a good chance that as you’re reading this, you’re listening to a podcast in the background. While there are several popular LGBTQ+-focused podcasts out there, like Getting Curious with Jonathan Van […]
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Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” is a musical theatre anthem – and a battle cry for outsiders
As director Jon M Chu’s first instalment of the mega-musical adaptation Wicked arrives in cinemas, a new audience of fans is connecting with Stephen Schwartz’s memorable score. Featuring hits including “Popular” “The Wizard and I” and “For Good,” the musical is particularly loved for its celebration of female characters in song. Unlike many Broadway shows, […]
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Lucid, with AI, aims to push the boundaries on streaming
Not many 28-year-olds can say they were a professional athlete, top of their class at an elite university, an investment bank analyst, and a global business development lead and now have their own company. But Indy Sanders, founder and CEO of the tech startup Lucid, can. “I don’t think there are any barriers within someone’s […]
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12 unmissable LGBTQ+ films and TV shows that defined 2024
Whittling down the best queer movies or shows of the year has become a near impossible task these days. There’s just so much incredible LGBTQ+ storytelling to admire and enjoy and even make your lifelong obsession. It’s a good problem to have, one that should never be taken for granted. But now imagine having to […]
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10 more LGBTQ+ holiday films and where to find them
Last year we put out a list of 15 LGBTQ+ films and where to find them, and it’s been one of our most popular posts ever. That’s why we’re bringing you 10 more holiday films featuring LGBTQ+ characters and storylines and where you can watch them right now. The Holiday Club Written, directed, and starring […]
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The Holiday Club: A heartfelt friends-to-lovers film perfect for the season
The latest film by writer, director, and actor Alexandra Swarens offers a slow-burn, “will they or won’t they,” friends-to-lovers romance with The Holiday Club. Starring Swarens and Mak Shealy, the film takes viewers to small-town Ohio, where two women bond over disastrous holidays. Bailey (Swarens) is a kind bakery owner whose girlfriend shows little interest […]
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Eli Tea Bar continues to grow as a Chicago non-alcoholic queer haven
When people talk about non-alcoholic queer spaces in Chicago, one of the first places mentioned is often Eli Tea Bar. And although owner Eli Majid didn’t initially open the store with that vision in mind, he’s glad it’s grown into its community role. Eli Tea Bar opened nearly three years ago in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood […]
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Celebrate the holidays by supporting queer-owned food brands
Looking to make your holiday shopping more meaningful and delicious this year? The Queer Food Foundation (QFF) has just come out with their 2024 Gift Guide, featuring over 90 queer-owned brands in the food and beverage world. This guide created by LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, offers everything from artisanal snacks and beverages to foodie experiences and cookbooks. […]
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Chappell Roan, queer artists dominate Grammy nominations
The 2025 Grammy Award nominations have been announced, with queer artists front and center in categories like record of the year, album of the year, and song of the year. Chappell Roan, who recently performed a lesbian country song on “Saturday Night Live,” picked up six nominations: record of the year, album of the year, […]
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LGBTQ+ pop stars usher in a new era
Across countries, socioeconomic classes, sexualities, and races, pop music has long been the sound of the masses. No matter where you go or who you talk to, people find commonality in the music of pop superstars. Icons like The Beatles and Michael Jackson are just as likely to be played at a Japanese bar as […]
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LGBTQ+ horror movies to watch this spooky season and beyond
While horror was never dead (or undead), it has certainly been making a comeback in recent years. Films like Longlegs, Terrifier, and The Substance have been cashing in at the box office. But what about queer horror? There are dozens of horror films where LGBTQ+ people aren’t just nameless victims to slashers or monsters. The […]
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Activist Riki Wilchins tackles New York Times’s controversial coverage of trans issues
The New York Times’ trans coverage has been the subject of strong controversy for the last few years, with the newspaper itself making headlines for how its stories platformed anti-trans groups instead of real trans individuals. Author and trans activist Riki Wilchins set out to chronicle that phenomenon. In Wilchins’s new book, Bad Ink: How The […]
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Why LGBTQ+ spaces beyond bars matter: Connecting without the crowds
I’m lucky enough to live in a city with multiple gay bars. From the Pride Stairs of Woody’s to the drag shows of Missy B’s, Kansas City has a bar for every type of queer person out there. Or, so I’ve heard. The truth is, I’ve never been to any of them. Admitting this can be a little […]
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Video games with powerful LGBTQ+ representation you should try
LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream gaming is fairly new, but games with queer themes have always existed. Throughout the last decade, dozens of games have been released that include gay, lesbian, and trans characters, among other identities. Today we’re bringing you a compilation of the most impactful queer stories you can experience in video games, complete […]
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National efforts to preserve LGBTQ+ history gain momentum with Demuth Foundation
When Abigail Baer arrived at the Demuth Foundation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania six years ago after being hired as its executive director, she discovered visitors to the historic residence and studio of the late artist Charles Demuth left without learning much about the celebrated master watercolorist. One detail about his life that largely went unmentioned was […]
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Revisiting “Friends”: The show’s complicated relationship with LGBTQ+ issues
Friends trampled its competitors in the Neilson ratings throughout the 1990s and 2000s and ushered in a new era of non-family-oriented sitcoms. Centered on six pals in their late 20s to early 30s, the NBC phenomenon hugged audiences tight with relatable storylines about living young and having fun in New York City. 30 years after […]
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Nico Lang’s book, “American Teenager,” shines a thoughtful spotlight on the everyday lives of trans youth
Early on in Nico Lang’s debut book, “American Teenager,” readers meet Wyatt, a transgender teen living in South Dakota. A sensitive and kind ballet student, Wyatt and his family open their hearts and home to Lang. Wyatt, who was 15 at the time of Lang’s interview, shares that he had to grow up fast as […]
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Trans artist Nonamey finds community, inspiration in Portland
San Francisco has the first-ever Transgender District, the Office of Trans Initiatives, a designated month to honor trans history, and the status as a sanctuary city for trans and gender-nonconforming people, but there’s another trans-embracing metropolis on the West Coast: Portland. It’s where multimedia artist Nonamey calls home. “It’s the city where I feel, in […]
