Twenty-Five Years Later, Michelle Tea’s ‘Valencia’ Remains Stunning Portrait of Lesbian Life
Valencia permitted me to romanticize my world.
I Was Outed as Trans at Work
When I transitioned and changed my name, I went through all of my accounts and switched them to my new name. Banks and airlines were shockingly no problem. TSA precheck and Social Security just required another in-person meeting. It was the most random places that made it hard.
Under a Big Old Florida Tree
The night has cooled; the air smells like saltwater, briny as our drinks.
On Never Seeing Someone Again
The most jarring parts of my breakups have been the number of people who I will never see again.
I Was Already Afraid of My Inbox. Then a Death Threat Came
The deadline for my compliance with the “blackmail” had already passed. It was supposed to be noon.
What Is Queer Generational Trauma, and How Do We Tell Stories About It?
Lately, I’ve been obsessing over the concept of queer generational trauma: the pain passed down to us from our ancestors, which we bequeath in turn to those who come after us.
I Hope the Crows Will Miss Me
After three years spent cultivating this yard with care, I’m about to leave it to whoever comes next.
My Ex Is Stuck in Friend Request Purgatory
She was a season. A fever dream. A glitter bomb of an experience. And I’m grateful. I am. But also: I’m not accepting that friend request.
Heat Advisory
Next summer will be hotter. The next, hotter still.
How We Cultivate Intimacy in Our Aroace Friend Group
What would be the shape of our lives if we prioritised each other?
On Being a Masc Top From Rural Oklahoma
You’ve fucked every lesbian sorority girl in Oklahoma, someone tells me on an app. Well, I said. Probably not all of them, right?
Andrea Gibson’s Work Lives in the Realities of Chronic Pain
There’s a long and powerful queer lineage of artists whose bodies were politicized, pathologized, and misunderstood and who still chose to create from that place.
Andrea Gibson Kept Sincerity Alive
The loss of Andrea Gibson is not just one that rocks the poetry world, but the world at large.
I’m Afraid To Move to the City of My Dreams
Moving in with a partner is one thing; moving cross-country with that partner is another.
No One’s Doing it Quite Like the Dykes in Orlando Are Doing It
In Orlando, there are no official dyke bars, but that hasn’t stopped the local lesbians from providing year-round nightlife and social options throughout the city.
Lowkey, I Chose To Be a Lesbian
I understand why people are often outraged at the idea of “choosing” your sexuality.
I Miss Feeling Hot
My surgeon informed me that I’d have to spend the rest of Pride Month with my hair pulled back, ointment gooped on, and absolutely no hotness allowed.
Coping Mechanisms That Might Make My Friends Side-Eye Me (And Honestly? Valid)
Did it keep me from texting my ex at 8 p.m.? Surprisingly, yes.
My Childhood Was Abusive. The Effects of CPTSD Kept Me From Realizing It
It took me over two decades to readily consider myself a victim of abuse.
At 28, I Blew Up My Life To Train in Jiu-Jitsu and as a Dominatrix
Beneath the latex and leather is sacred work.