Why does it seem like so many people come out while at university? A new social circle and a fresh start can mean that people become less apprehensive about other peopleÔÇÖs reactions, whilst also having the opportunity to build more queer friendships and relationships. As I was entering my first year, I would probably describe my situation as having one foot in the closet and … Continue reading Coming Out of Your Hometown
The AIDS crisis gripped the world for most of the 1980s and 1990s, with an estimated 40.1 million people having died of HIV and AIDS by 2021. At the time, rather than being seen and treated as a serious pandemic that posed a threat to everyone, the perception of it was distorted to become a moral disease caused and spread by the LGBTQIA+ community. The … Continue reading Unpacking The AIDS Crisis and The Continued Discrimination Against the LGBTQIA+ Community
By Holly Chapman TW: homophobic laws, infertility. Where someone struggles with fertility and has to reach out for help when wanting to conceive, members of the LGBTQ+ community follow similar steps in their difficult journey towards parenthood. Unfortunately, their rights to conceive or have children in general, have been protested in the past. It was only in 1967 that The Sexual Offences Act decriminalized sex … Continue reading The Rainbow Test Tube
by Catarina Vicente. Coming out is seen by many in the LGBTQ+ community as a huge milestone: a step to showing your true identity to the world, presenting yourself how you want to be seen. For others, coming out is not a big deal: their identities or sexualities are disclosed to a few close relations in a casual convo, and thatÔÇÖs the end of that. … Continue reading More Than a Coming-Out Story
by Amy Green. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo explores the life of a bisexual actor in the golden age of Hollywood. Evelyn, an effortlessly seductive actor, finds herself using her assets to leverage herself out of poverty. Being thrust into stardom in the 1950s, she quickly finds herself a male suiter and fell hard. … Continue reading LGBTQ+ Faces in Literature: Evelyn Hugo
By Shivikah Singh The term ally refers to someone who stands in solidarity with any other marginalized social group and believes in their cause. An ally recognises social, political or legal issues affecting a community and believes in their rights and equality, and works for their upliftment. An LGBTQ+ ally is any person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, LGBTQ+ social movements and challenges … Continue reading How to be a Good Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community
Words by Amy Leadbitter, image by Taylor Heery (via Unsplash). WeÔÇÖve all seen an uptake in brands ÔÇÿpromotingÔÇÖ or ÔÇÿraising awarenessÔÇÖ for LGBTQ+ issues, especially around Pride month; from The Co-OpÔÇÖs gender-neutral gingerbread person, to M&SÔÇÖs LGBT sandwich. Do these companies actually care about LGBTQ+ issues, or is this ÔÇÿrainbow washingÔÇÖ? ÔÇÿRainbow-washingÔÇÖ, similar to ÔÇÿwoke-washingÔÇÖ, is a way for companies to outwardly show ÔÇÿsupportÔÇÖ for … Continue reading Using LGBTQ+ for Profit in the Food Industry
Disclaimer: This is explicitly an opinion piece. by Gabii Rayner Queerbaiting can be understood in two different ways; as the presentation of queer-coded characters/relationships without production teams overtly addressing or acting upon it, or as the promise for queer representation that ends up as a throwaway moment or something that ultimately doesnÔÇÖt affect the plot. Regardless, queerbaiting is clearly (and has been defined as) nothing … Continue reading Time To Quit Queerbaiting
Gan Rhiannon Jones Bydd newidiadau i’r rheolau ynghylch pwy syÔÇÖn cael rhoi gwaed yn y DU yn golygu y gall mwy o ddynion hoyw a deurywiol roi gwaed. Bydd y newidiadauÔÇÖn cael eu gweithredu erbyn haf eleni. MaeÔÇÖr gwaharddiad presennol yn golygu bod rhaid i ddynion ymgadw rhag rhyw gyda dyn arall am dair mis os ydynt am roi gwaed. Ar ├┤l y newidiadau, fydd … Continue reading Newid rheolau yn golygu y gall mwy o bobl LHDT+ rhoi gwaed yn yr haf
Words by Dominic Bramley-Carr Openly queer-owned and queer-targeted businesses are few and far between, especially in the typically conformative beauty world. A lot of the time, queer people are brought to the forefront by brands alongside Pride palettes, normally for one month a year. However, weÔÇÖve compiled a list of amazing LGBTQ+ beauty brands, many of which aim to fight stereotypes and redefine the beauty … Continue reading LGBTQ+ Beauty Brands to Support
Words by Neus Forner Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda is one of the key texts of LGBTQ+ literature out there and many enjoyed the book and the recent movie adaptation. If you, like us, want to delve more into LGBTQ+ literature and are looking for fun but emotive reads like Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, this recommendation list is for you.┬á They Both … Continue reading If You Enjoyed Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Then You’ll Enjoy…
Dani and Jamie – The Haunting of Bly Manor by Hope Docherty I forced my girlfriend to watch the Netflix series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, much to her dismay, thinking it was just a horror series after being scared to watch it alone. The gothic LGBTQ+ relationship came as a surprise but of course then had us hooked. It was as if the relationship … Continue reading Love is Love: Our Favourite LGBTQ+ Romances in Film and TV
RuPaulÔÇÖs Drag Race UK Season 2 by Georgia Glenn When the 1st season of RuPaulÔÇÖs Drag Race UK sadly faded from our screens in 2019, I thought ÔÇ£how on earth will they top it?!ÔÇØ. I mean, we had ÔÇ£Much betta!ÔÇØ, the Frock Destroyers and DivinaÔÇÖs red wig and a silver dress dramaÔǪ Then, as a glimmer of hope, season 2 arrived to grace us with … Continue reading “We’re All Born Naked And The Rest Is Drag”
Photo by Steve Allison on Unsplash Words by Sasha Nugara Gay bars have always served as a central pillar to the LGBTQ+ community and have always taken their place as one of the few spots where the community could truly express themselves. Unsurprisingly, evidence of gay bars dates all the way back to the 18th century, but the first ÔÇÿofficialÔÇÖ gay bar is assumed to … Continue reading The History of Gay Bars and Their Story of Liberation
By Emily Bryant With LGBTQ+ History Month upon us, myself and my fellow members of the community can take time to commemorate those who helped shape the culture that we know and love today. Since 2003, LGBTQ+ people have been able to use the whole month of February to learn about and honour figures and events of queer history. Such celebrations, however, are not present … Continue reading Queer History in Schools? Why We Still Need LGBTQ+ History Month
Aligarh┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á by Chahat Awasthi The Indian silver screen landscape is rich with movies centred around the LGBTQ+ topic ÔÇô some are rich, some show the heart in the right place but a mind with gaps in nuanced understanding, and some are downright disappointing. A not-to-be-missed movie here is Aligarh – a movie based on a genuine hero ÔÇô a professor in a renowned university of India, who was hounded for … Continue reading The Asian Silver Screen: LGBTQ+ Dramas
MaeÔÇÖr gymuned LGBTQ fel y gwyddoch, wedi goroesi nifer fawr o ddigwyddiadau trais a homoffobia yng nghanol yr holl glityr, dawnsio a dathlu. MaeÔÇÖr digwyddiadau erchyll yma tuag at y gymuned LGBTQ yn dyddio yn n├┤l canrifoedd. Er bod pethau wedi ac yn parhau i wellhau, dydiÔÇÖr berthynas rhwng y gymuned LGBTQ aÔÇÖr gymuned heterorywiol dal ddim yn berthynas berffaith, ac mae rhaid cofio mai … Continue reading Protest yw pride, nid parti (wel)…
Written By Phoebe Bowers, Image Courtesy of StayGolden PR Always the same and never the same Day by day, life after life Without my legs or my hair Without my genes or my blood With no name and with no type of story Where do I live?Tell me, where do I exist?We’re just… Im-ma-ma-material, immaterial. If you donÔÇÖt know who SOPHIE was you definitely have … Continue reading SOPHIE: 1986-2021: The Legacy Left Behind
By Aruni Deraniyagala What is the ÔÇ£lesbian agendaÔÇØ? For Sarah Waters, it means putting more wlw (women who love women) stories out into the world. Born in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1966, Waters was encouraged to engage in artistic hobbies from a young age by her father. She particularly loved writing poems and stories. Despite this clear passion for story-telling, it wasnÔÇÖt until she was much … Continue reading Sarah Waters: The Queen of Vintage Lesbians
Illustration by Madeline HowellBy Sarah Belger In 1988, British Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher banned the ÔÇÿpromotion of homosexualityÔÇÖ by local authorities with the introduction of Section 28 of the Local Government Act. This meant school children received no formal education about LGBT+ identities or relationships. Local libraries were also prohibited from stocking books and films which contained mentions of homosexuality, meaning that most children … Continue reading 1988, Section 28 and Its Lasting Unwanted Legacy
