Acknowledging queer women during Women’s History Month
They say history is told by the victors, and history in the United States is told from the perspective of white, cisgender, straight men. Our schools teach this narrative but then take the opportunity during certain months to tell the history of “the other,” showing that we are not the ones whose history is the…
Breaking down the LGBTQ ‘monolith’
We’ve heard this phrase a lot lately: The LGBTQ+ community is not a monolith. It gets used whenever the assumed homogeny of the community is called into question, serving as a reminder that not all LGBTQ+ share the same views or priorities. In politics, for example, one might stereotypically expect LGBTQ+ people to automatically support…
The power of queer obituaries
I enjoy reading the obituaries. You’re likely thinking, this person is a wackadoodle. I get why this strikes many as morbid. Yet, strange as it probably seems, few things are more life-affirming than obits. Particularly, for the LGBTQ+ community. Obituaries are far from dole, death-obsessed dirges. They are (pun intended) lively stories of lives: Composer…
What we lose when an LGBTQ+ bar closes
Shortly after the new year, I was stunned after learning another neighborhood business was closing. I was surprised by the abrupt message handwritten on a sign outside – and perhaps ironically revealed on Instagram–Harvey’s, an LGBTQ+ bar in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro district announced its last day before closing for good. Once ground…
The next evolution of queer media is branded content
It’s no surprise that, as the decades have passed, media has evolved. Print journalism still serves its purpose, and there’s still something very soothing about sitting down with coffee and reading a magazine or newspaper. But we’ve officially entered the age of digital and branded content. The Meta Branded Content Project defines branded content as “any…
LGBTQ+ candidates are there as Chicago politics prepare to shift
The exhausting Chicago election cycle continues. Once the midterm and gubernatorial races were resolved, the Windy City was already midstream in campaigning for the 2023 municipal elections Feb. 28 (with runoffs April 4). Chicago could very well see a significant pivot in its municipal politics in 2023. A contentious term, not to mention some campaign…
6 up and coming LGBTQ+ politicians to watch in 2023
A record number of openly LGBTQ+ politicians won their elections in November 2022 and they’re taking office this January. One can only hope that this record number “rainbow wave” of LGBTQ+ candidates is a promising sign of growing progress. Despite a tough legislative fight that lies ahead for some cities and states, many queer and…
A new year and a new era of LGBTQ+ journalism
A new year brings with it the attempt to keep your New Year’s resolutions and start new projects. For me, there are no new resolutions, since years ago it became apparent that any resolutions I made usually didn’t make it through January, much less the entire calendar year. But there is that second item, new…
New year, still here, still queer
2023 has dawned. With a quick look back, let me definitively say newspapers did not die. I field that specific question all the time. My response is steadfast. We are here, we are queer. I add to that, newspapers and niche market media are still alive and well. Jeff Bezos has not knocked on the…
Respect in death for our trans siblings
Another mass shooting, another act of violence against our community. We’re numbed to it, deadened to the daily nature of murders of our siblings and only the largest, shocking numbers grab the headlines now. This is why we honor Trans Day of Remembrance, to make sure no life goes unremembered even if their story didn’t…
Who gets to define family values?
When President Barack Obama gave his second inaugural speech Jan. 21, 2013, the part that had me in tears was when he said, “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths –- that all of us are created equal –- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our…
How infighting serves the power structures eager to divide us
My home is protected by Ben Bradlee Brown. Not the esteemed Washington Post executive editor. This Ben Bradlee is a 16-pound Bichon Frise. The naming is intended as a compliment to Mr. Bradlee. In my house, dogs are good.
Trans-Pacific Māhū Ancestors: Reclaiming Hawaiian Trans Identities/Spirits
In a world full of anger, hurt and worry, a Hawaiian legend of dual male/female identities has been resurrected to reclaim an ancient tradition and bring healing to our modern lives. Such a story is necessary today as transgender people are openly attacked as easy targets of hatred and discrimination, scapegoats for all that is…
The fight continues
In the 53-plus years since the Stonewall Riots, the LGBTQ+ community has made tremendous strides. Progress came slowly at first; in the 1980s through the early 1990s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic largely diverted our attention and efforts away from fighting for equality and focused us instead on just trying to stay alive and keep our friends…
Responsible voting and reporting: A recipe for democracy
Winston Churchill famously said, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government—except all the others that have been tried.” Democracy has been especially exhausting in recent memory. Mainstream media has locked Americans into a perpetual election cycle: Once a president, for example, is sworn in, speculation begins on the outcomes of…
LGBTQ+ votes are crucial on the local level
It seems like every election we say, “the stakes have never been higher” for the LGBTQ+ community and it is true every time. It’s exhausting and LGBTQ+ voters, especially in blue states, may not feel motivated to turn out in a midterm election while President Biden safely holds the White House and there is no…
Did “Bros” fail at the box office because it didn’t market to the LGTBQ+ community?
Believe it or not, you made it through another year. But wait, it’s not that time of year yet, right? There’s Halloween and Thanksgiving and, gee, something called the Midterm Elections to get through. If you don’t believe this columnist, turn on the Hallmark Channel. They’ve already started the holiday romantic comedy festival, and when…
LGBTQ+ History Month is a celebration of community
As I write, it’s National Coming Out Day. Since 1988, this day in October has been a day of solidarity for those who have come out. It is also a hopeful, supportive, gentle opportunity for anyone in flux, transition or considering coming out. We all have coming out stories. It is important to voice them.…
Asian Americans lead the fight against hate crimes in California
In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law two bills that address the unprecedented number of bias incidents and hate crimes in the state. Initially aimed to confront the rise of such cases against Asian American and Pacific Islanders, the laws will also aid in defense of LGBTQs, who have experienced a similar increase.…
Support for LGBTQ+ journalism starts locally
Standing up in my highchair, peering over my dad’s shoulder, I was interested in what had his attention: the newspaper. I wanted his attention, but I was patient and curious. I wasn’t old enough to read yet, but I looked at the pictures and graphic images and reached for the comics. Back in the 1960s…
Why having LGBTQ+ people in office matters
Representation matters. It matters everywhere, from the actors people see in movies to the teachers who impart knowledge to the politicians who determine the laws that shape our lives. The results can be overwhelmingly beneficial, helping underrepresented people to connect with each other and reducing negative stereotypes. Few people can understand the aforementioned benefits better…
Banned Books Week is a reminder of why we need to fight for LGBTQ+ content
Book burnings evoke thoughts of Europe nearly a century ago, but they’re being suggested here in the U.S. this year under a scary climate that is trying to eliminate all LGBTQ+ books from the shelves of public libraries and schools—and not enough people are talking about it or trying to stop it. Many hope to…
Queer media is here to help combat anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination
Nobody understands the LGBTQ+ community like LGBTQ+ media. Bringing people the news and opinions from our various local LGBTQ publications is what News Is Out is all about. We show you the beating heart of what drives and impacts LGBTQ people. We inform you of your rights and alert you to those trying to take…
Finding allies across the aisle
Some of my best friends are Republicans. I hang out with people who are Republican. Many are military, currently serving or retired or are LGBTQ+ people raised in military homes. Many are in the banking or finance sector. A few friends are trust fund babies, moneyed people who vote their pocketbooks. We are friends. We…
Anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander hate crimes affect LGBTQ+ people too
Another virus has been spreading throughout our country since former President Donald Trump racialized the coronavirus by repeatedly calling it the “China virus” or “kung flu:” Hate. His thinly veiled racist dog whistles encouraged identification of the virus with Asians and a justification for punishing anyone perceived as Chinese, which is liberally misapplied to almost…
Why is there LGBTQ+ media? One word: information
Take monkeypox, for example, specifically its relationship to our community. LGBTQ+ media reports a depth and breadth of information you won’t get from mainstream media. We immediately understood the impact monkeypox would have on the LGBTQ+ community and began writing about it and taking it seriously much earlier than mainstream media. The reason is that…
Archives for ALL, Y’all!
Queer History South 2022 conference to take place in Dallas from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. The contributions of LGBTQ+ people toward the betterment of the world cannot be underestimated, and the world is a better place when LGBTQ+ people are allowed to flourish. From government and engineering to science and the arts, LGBTQ+ people…