Make drag queens illegal? It’s happened before
The growing campaign to criminalize drag performers may seem quixotic given the mainstreaming of drag in popular culture. Indeed, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and its spinoffs threatened to make drag passé, except for the most extravagant, outrageous, and outlandish. But perhaps it was inevitable that a backlash was due, because anti-drag hysteria is nothing new; in…
The importance of living authentically
“Don’t worry about what other people think of you. They need to worry about what you think of them.” I offered this advice to a new colleague of mine recently as we sat enjoying our lunch of gumbo and shrimp po’ boys on a cloudy Dallas afternoon. He responded, “For the first time in a…
News is Out’s LGBTQ+ international roundup
The LGBTQ+ community stretches far and wide and it’s important to know what’s happening beyond our own borders. Here are some important developments happening with the international LGBTQ+ community.
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…
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…
The Victory Fund is changing the game for LGBTQ+ candidates
Founded in 1991, Victory Fund and its non-profit arm, Victory Institute, have spent the last 30 years working to level the political playing field by supporting LGBTQ+ candidates for races all up and down the ballot. Currently, Victory Fund is supporting over 400 candidates, including key senate, mayoral and gubernatorial candidates. Annise Parker, the former…
LGBTQ+ Changemakers: Rayceen Pendarvis
The LGBTQ+ Changemakers series features LGBTQ+ people all over the country who are making a difference through visibility and ingenuity. The High Priestess of Love, The Queen of the Shameless Plug, The Empress of Pride, The Goddess of DC, The iconic, the legendary, Rayceen Pendarvis is an unstoppable force for good. An event host, community advocate,…
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…
News is Good: Dragstravaganz, gay football and more
Welcome to the first installment of our new weekly column, News is Good, where we feature positive news about the LGBTQ+ community. Too much of what we see in mainstream media coverage focuses on the challenges we face and not the celebrations. Here are five things we’re excited about this week. Kelley Robinson to lead…
LGBTQ+ Changemakers: Alex Schmider
The LGBTQ+ Changemakers series features LGBTQ+ people all over the country who are making a difference through visibility and ingenuity. As director of transgender representation at GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Alex Schmider is a force for good regarding trans stories on television and film. In addition to his pivotal work at GLAAD,…
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.…
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.…
Combating misinformation and misconceptions about being intersex
“What does it mean to be intersex?” “What does intersex look like?” “How do intersex individuals fit into the larger LGBTQIA2S community?” These are some of the questions that the intersex advocacy organization interACT tackles on its website and outreach. Established in 2006, interACT uses “innovative legal and other strategies, to advocate for the human…
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…
Seven LGBTQ+ culture podcasts to subscribe to right now
If you are like 41% of Americans, then you are likely listening to podcasts regularly. The world of podcasts is wide, with a niche for pretty much anyone who wants to learn something new, get lost in a story or find common ground. The number of LGBTQ+-centric podcasts is rising, featuring everything from finances to…
News is Out’s LGBTQ+ international roundup
The LGBTQ+ community stretches far and wide and it’s important to know what’s happening beyond our own borders. Here are some important developments happening with the international LGBTQ+ community. Singapore In Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently announced that the government would move to strike down Section 377A of the Penal Code which criminalizes sex…
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…
LGBTQ+ changemakers: Mayor Remy Drabkin
Welcome to the first in our LGBTQ+ Changemakers series. There are LGBTQ+ people all over the country who are making a difference through visibility and ingenuity. Mayor Remy Drabkin is one of those people. Drabkin, a lesbian, is the owner of Remy Wines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and one of the founders of Wine Country…
With monkeypox, let’s not stigmatize (again)
More than 40 years ago, a worldwide plague emerged. Men who have sex with men (MSM) made up a large portion of those diagnosed early on. Among its first names were gay cancer and GRID (gay-related immune deficiency); eventually, the disease became known as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). And talk about a marginalized community. HIV/AIDS-impacted…
TikTok famous plus size Charlotte store provides a refuge for LGBTQ+ shoppers
When you walk through the doors of Juicy Body Goddess, you know instantly you’ve ended up in an affirming place. “Welcome to Juicy, where you’ve got to be two something to do something,” store owner Summer Lucille and her staff call out as a greeting. The plus size boutique is a hit on TikTok, where…
The value of your visibility
We all know that representation matters. We’ve seen what happens when there aren’t enough LGBTQ+ individuals in Congress, not enough people of color policing our streets and not enough women making laws in state legislatures. In the same ways that these absences of representation harm us, we know that seeing ourselves reflected in the world…
A lesbian perspective on reproductive freedom
I was once young. And fresh off the turnip truck. So naive I laugh today looking back. I thought every lesbian would be my friend. I worried about the ducks I saw in Rock Creek Park. What would they eat? Who fed them? It was an early girlfriend who moved me off the worry with…
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…
LGBTQ+ content featured heavily in recent book bans
The most recent rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has been heavily focused on students and what they should and should not be exposed to in the classroom. School libraries have been forced to pull certain books off their shelves, while teachers have been told to remove books from their syllabi. What’s the current state of banned…
Monkeypox: What you need to know
Monkeypox cases are on the rise. Reported cases of monkeypox have increased to more than 5,100 in the U.S., compared with several hundred in late June, the Centers for Disease Control said. Worldwide, the number of reported cases is more than 18,000. In this outbreak, so far, monkeypox has disproportionately impacted gay, bisexual, queer and…
6 books featuring transgender or nonbinary heroes
Just as the great Bonnie Tyler once sang, “I need a hero!” so too do we. Today, as transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals are under new threats every day it seems, this Pride month feels like a fitting time to celebrate transgender and nonbinary heroes. From princes fighting for their kingdom and acceptance to a teen…
Yes, we still need Black LGBTQ+ Pride events
Most of us know the story of the Stonewall Inn: We’ve heard how Black, Brown, and trans individuals in a small Greenwich Village bar rose up against the police in June 1969. While we often credit that night with sparking the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, the larger queer community ignores the continuation of the story:…
6 ways to experience LGBTQ+ history this Pride month
Pride month is a perfect time to reflect on the people and events that helped us get where we are today. For many LGBTQ+ people, they never got to see their bravery and sacrifice blossom into the joyful celebrations we now have around the world. This June, you can honor their legacies and learn more…
Can the original Gay Pride be reclaimed?
In the political upheaval that is reshaping our society, including the LGBTQ+ community, there seems to be a national movement to “reclaim” Pride. This movement has taken various forms around the nation: marches being led by queer youth and people of color. Dyke and trans marches. It’s taken different shapes in multiple cities.
The term Pride started in Los Angeles
For the gay patrons of the Black Cat bar in Silver Lake, it was a rotten way to start 1967. But in the aftermath of that horrific night, the LGBTQ+ community adopted a word that would help define a movement. As balloons fell from the ceiling of the neighborhood gay tavern at midnight on Dec.…
LGBTQ+ youth are on the frontlines of massive setbacks for equality
A joint report by member publications of News is Out: Bay Area Reporter, Dallas Voice, Philadelphia Gay News, Q Voice News, Tagg Magazine, Washington Blade, and Windy City Times. The LGBTQ+ community is experiencing wide-reaching attacks from state governments, with most proposed and passed legislation focusing on LGBTQ+ youth. News is Out explores what’s happening,…
Op-ed: Purple states like Pennsylvania are at a crossroads
This op-ed is the third part in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBTQ+ com
Blue states working to expand abortion access
This article is the final in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBTQ+ community.
Chicago abortion-rights advocate warns of emboldened right-wing
This article is the fourth in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBTQ+ community. By Matt Simonette, Windy City Times The only aspect of U. S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s leaked draft opinion attacking Roe v. Wade that surprised longtime abortion-rights…
Texas is at the forefront in the move to ban abortion
This article is the second in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBQT+ community.
News
Make drag queens illegal? It’s happened before
The growing campaign to criminalize drag performers may seem quixotic given the mainstreaming of drag in popular culture. Indeed, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and its spinoffs threatened to make drag passé, except for the most extravagant, outrageous, and outlandish. But perhaps it was inevitable that a backlash was due, because anti-drag hysteria is nothing new; in…
News is Out’s LGBTQ+ international roundup
The LGBTQ+ community stretches far and wide and it’s important to know what’s happening beyond our own borders. Here are some important developments happening with the international LGBTQ+ community.
The importance of living authentically
“Don’t worry about what other people think of you. They need to worry about what you think of them.” I offered this advice to a new colleague of mine recently as we sat enjoying our lunch of gumbo and shrimp po’ boys on a cloudy Dallas afternoon. He responded, “For the first time in a…